Independent pharmacy chain Well Pharmacy is calling on people to ‘know their number’ in conjunction with Know Your Numbers! Week which runs from September 5, 2022 throughout the UK. Every September, volunteers give free blood pressure checks to thousands of passers-by to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
Know Your Numbers! Week reaches those who have high blood pressure and do not necessarily know it. This affords those vulnerable with high pressure the chance to get the treatment and support they need to bring it under control.
Amongst the hundreds of organisations taking part, from hospitals and health centres to offices, car parks and supermarkets, Well Pharmacy are urging their customers to stop by their local Well Pharmacy to get a free blood pressure check. At their local pharmacy customers can learn more on the importance of understanding hypertension via the hypertension case finding service, a free service offered across Well pharmacies in England. Further info can be found on the Well Pharmacy website here https://www.well.co.uk/pharmacy-services/blood-pressure-checks
Hypertension (more commonly known as high blood pressure) can cause a range of health issues. Worryingly, it often comes with no symptoms, which is why it is vital to know if your blood pressure is higher than it should be, as there is plenty that can be done to manage it if so.
George Sandhu, Deputy Pharmacy Superintendent said “We are proud to be one of the many organisations supporting Know Your Numbers! Week this year. The average person won’t have any symptoms of high blood pressure and so having their blood pressure checked is the only way to find out.
“Your heart pumps blood around your body to give it the energy and oxygen it needs. As the blood moves around the body, it pushes against the sides of the blood vessels. The strength of this pushing is your blood pressure. Although high blood pressure can rise and fall depending on activity and stress levels, having high blood pressure puts an extra strain on your heart and blood vessels, which over time can damage them and make them weaker and lead to serious health problems including heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease.
“We are urging people to come into our pharmacies across September as part of Know Your Numbers! Week. Our pharmacy teams will be on hand to offer advice and information.
“High and low blood pressure can impact greatly on our health. It’s important to ensure you know your readings. Awareness weeks such as this really offer people the opportunity to find out what their readings are, and if there is a problem, speak to their pharmacist or GP to plan the best way forward.”
Blood pressure – what you may need to know
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Most people don’t have any symptoms of high blood pressure.
- Having your blood pressure checked is the only way to find out what your reading is
- People with low blood pressure will often feel dizzy or lightheaded, particularly if they stand up suddenly.
- The NHS recommends that healthy adults who are over 40 should have a blood pressure check every 5 years. People who are at increased risk of high blood pressure should have checks once a year.
How is blood pressure checked?
- Checking blood pressure is very easy and nothing to be alarmed about
- Blood pressure is checked with a device made of a cuff, which goes around your arm, a pump, which inflates the cuff to temporarily restrict circulation, and a dial or digital display to report your blood pressure.
- When your blood pressure is measured, it is written down as two numbers.
- The first (or top number) is the systolic, taken when the heart beats and forces blood through the arteries, and the second (or bottom figure) is the diastolic pressure, taken between heartbeats, or while your heart is at rest.
- Your Well pharmacist or doctor will be looking at both of those numbers when they decide if treatment is needed to manage your blood pressure.
