'Know Your Numbers! Week' is a national campaign that reaches those who have high blood pressure and don't know it, so they can get the treatment and support they need to bring it under control.

This year it takes place from 7th - 13th September and Frome Medical Practice is taking the opportunity to highlight what patients can do to help themselves where their blood pressure is concerned.

Around a third of people in the UK have high blood pressure, but most don't know it. It doesn't have any symptoms so the only way to find out is to have a blood pressure check. High blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, strokes and other illnesses. Once you 'Know Your Numbers' you can get support to bring your blood pressure under control and help prevent these diseases.

Coronavirus has changed the way Know Your Numbers! week is being delivered this year. Instead of encouraging people to visit their practice for a blood pressure check it's suggested people do this at home instead. This is something the practice has been encouraging patients to do since Coronavirus changed the way some services are delivered.

The practice recommends purchasing your own blood pressure monitoring machine. There is guidance on the practice website (see below for link) about the kind of machine to buy.

Dr Helen Kingston, Senior Partner at Frome Medical Practice, explains,

"Knowing your blood pressure and that it is in a healthy range is important. Both a blood pressure too high or too low can be a problem.

"Your blood pressure is a really useful way of being able to monitor this aspect of your health and put in place interventions if they are needed. High blood pressure can be helped with medication. A homeblood pressure reading, ideally a series of home readings, is much more accuratethan readings taken in a surgery setting. If you are able to 'know your numbers' by using a home blood pressure monitor this is a great way to check on a regular basis and take control of your health."

For more information on blood pressure visit bloodpressureuk.org and for more detail on monitoring your blood pressure at home click HERE: the FMP site