The heart is a pump that is designed to force blood through your body. Blood is pumped from your heart through a network of tubing called arteries to your muscles and organs.

The force that your heart produces in your arteries, when it pumps, is called your blood pressure. Hypertension occurs when the pressure of blood in your arteries is too high. This can lead to heart problems, kidney disease, eye damage and strokes.

What can you do?

Lead a healthy lifestyle by taking regular exercise, eat a varied diet, control your weight, drink sensibly, do not smoke and reduce your stress and anxiety levels. This will help you to control your blood pressure and help you to avoid health problems in the future.

What can we do?

We can help you in various ways to give up smoking, reduce weight, control alcohol intake and reduce your levels of anxiety and stress.

By treating existing hypertension or by preventing it occurring in the first place, long term complications can be avoided.

You should always consult your GP if you have any concerns about your health.