This week is #KnowYourNumbersWeek, a chance to take control of your health and get a blood pressure check.
High blood pressure causes nearly half of all heart attacks and strokes but often has no noticeable symptoms. High blood pressure also puts you at risk of cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and vascular dementia.
The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have a check. Use #KnowYourNumbersWeek as a chance to get your blood pressure checked and encourage your friends and family to get checked too.
Here’s how you can get a blood pressure check:
Visit your local pharmacy
If you are aged over 40, you can get your blood pressure checked for free at most pharmacies in Derby and Derbyshire.
The pharmacist will be able to offer you advice if your blood pressure is high, or refer you to your GP.
To find a pharmacy offering the checks, visit the Find a Pharmacy and type in your postcode. Each pharmacy page will have a list of treatments and services offered.
Visit one of Live Life Better Derbyshire’s blood pressure clinics this week
During Know Your Numbers Week (September 4 – 10) Live Life Better Derbyshire are holding free drop-in blood pressure checks around the county.
www.livelifebetterderbyshire.org.uk
Get a free NHS Health Check
The NHS Health Check is a free check-up of your overall health and is available to anyone aged between 40-74.
The health check can tell you whether you are at risk of getting certain health problems.
Simple tests including BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol and heart age designed to spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or dementia.
You can request a health check at your GP practice. Livewell Derby also offer health checks to people in Derby City, you can book a check here
Get a home blood pressure monitor
You can measure your blood pressure in the comfort of your own home by using a home blood pressure monitor.
You can purchase home blood pressure monitors online, Blood Pressure UK has everything you need to know about home monitoring.
Rebecca White, 49, from Ripley, shares her experience of finding out she had high blood pressure:
“The worrying part of this is that I didn’t – and still don’t – have any symptoms of feeling unwell at all. So without the trip to the nurse, none of this would have been highlighted and I would have continued as normal not knowing how high my blood pressure was.”
“I would definitely urge everyone to take a blood pressure check, it’s free, it’s safe, it doesn’t hurt and it could save your life!”
Knowing your numbers empowers you to make informed choices for a healthy future. Don’t wait – get checked now!