How Can You Tell if You Have Hypertension and What Can You Do to Control It?

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, currently affects one in every three women and two in every five men - but 90 per cent of people who suffer from hypertension still don't know why they have it. Despite the millions of pounds of research that has gone into investigating hypertension, its causes are still hazy in most cases - a fact that seems rather scary, considering that people who have high blood pressure are at much greater risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke. So how do you know if you've got hypertension - and, if you do, what measures can you take to control it?

The only real way to identify high blood pressure and establish whether or not you have hypertension is to visit your doctor or a nurse and get your blood pressure measured. Most doctors advise that the average person has their blood pressure checked at least once every five years. In most cases a good blood pressure reading is said to be somewhere around 120/80.

However, it's important to remember that if you get your blood pressure checked and the reading seems a little low or high, it might not necessarily be because you have hypertension: in fact, your blood pressure will rise if you're worried or stressed, just as it may decrease if you're feeling particularly relaxed.

Many people these days buy their own blood pressure monitor so that they can provide a number of readings for their GP who can then decide whether or not the readings add up to someone who has hypertension. If you do this, it is best to vary the circumstances in which you take the measurements so, for instance, take some when you are relaxing in front of the television and others when you are stressed or have been exercising. When your GP analyses these readings he or she will have a much more accurate image of what your blood pressure does in your normal life.

If you're given hypertension medication (anti-hypertensives), ensure that you tell your pharmacist before buying any over-the-counter medicines for a cough or cold. Some drugs are incompatible with medicine that's designed to reduce blood pressure, but your pharmacist should usually be able to advise you on which remedies are safe to consume. It's also possible that you may have misgivings about taking medication for hypertension and, if this is the case, you should discuss your concerns with your GP.

However, making changes to your lifestyle could mean that you can avoid the need to take medication for your hypertension altogether. For instance, taking regular exercise or making the effort to keep your weight down to its optimum level could eliminate the need for you to take tablets to reduce your blood pressure. Additionally, reducing your salt intake to just six grams a day, maintaining a healthy diet and attempting to reduce your stress levels could also have significant benefits.

Even if you take these measures your GP may decide that the only way to completely control your blood pressure is for you to take medication. This does not mean you have failed because even people with very healthy lifestyles can have hypertension since it is usually an inherited condition and continuing these healthy measures may reduce the number of anti-hypertensive tablets you have to take to properly control the condition.