A blood pressure test is a simple way of checking if your blood pressure is too high or too low.
Blood pressure is the term used to describe the strength with which your blood pushes on the sides of your arteries as it’s pumped around your body.
High blood pressure (hypertension) can put a strain on your arteries and organs, which can increase your risk of developing serious problems such as heart attacks and strokes.
Low blood pressure (hypotension) isn’t usually as serious, although it can cause dizziness and fainting in some people.
A blood pressure test is the only way to find out if your blood pressure is too high or too low, because most people won’t have any obvious symptoms. It’s recommended that everyone aged 40+ checks their blood pressure at least once every 5 years. Having a test is easy and could save your life.
You can test your blood pressure in the waiting rooms of any of our surgeries. You can also buy your own home blood pressure monitoring machine.
Page last reviewed: March 14th, 2024
Next review due: August 19th, 2023