Cultural Competence in a Multicultural World Â» Section 1. Understanding Culture and Diversity in Building Communities Â» Main Section. Chapter 27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46.
High blood pressure (hypertension) doesn't usually have any symptoms, so the only way to find out if you have it is to get your blood pressure checked. Healthy adults aged over 40 should have their blood pressure checked at least once every five years. If you're at an increased risk of high blood pressure, you should have your blood pressure checked more often â ideally once a year. Having this done is easy and could save your life. This page covers:
Taking blood pressure readings is quick and painless. Usually, the process involves using either a sphygmomanometer or blood pressure machine. Blood pressure is expressed in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and recorded as two numbers -- systolic pressure over diastolic pressure. For example, the doctor or nurse might say 130 over 80 as a blood pressure reading. This is written as 130/80. While both numbers are important when taking blood pressure, the systolic blood pressure is especially important to be aware of as people grow older.