Should I use this page, or skip it?
If you have not had a blood pressure check for years, or a reading has come back high, use this page to choose pharmacy, GP or emergency care. Skip it and call 999 now if chest pain does not settle, spreads to an arm, neck, jaw or back, or comes with sweating, sickness or breathlessness.
High blood pressure is common, usually silent, and treatable. This guide is for people in the UK trying to interpret a reading and choose the right door — not for someone who is collapsing, confused, or in severe sudden pain.
What counts as high blood pressure in the UK?
Blood pressure is written as two numbers, for example 130/80. The first is the pressure when the heart squeezes; the second is the pressure when it rests. The NHS usually calls it high if a healthcare professional measures 140/90 mmHg or more, or if home readings are 135/85 mmHg or more.
Those thresholds exist because clinic readings tend to run a little higher than home ones. A single raised result — especially if you were rushing, talking, or had caffeine — is a reason to repeat, not a lifelong label. Your GP looks at the pattern, not one dramatic figure on a pharmacy printout.
If the first check is high, you may be asked to measure at home for several days, come back to the surgery, or wear a 24-hour monitor. That extra step is how they avoid treating a one-off spike.
Why does it matter if I feel completely well?
Because the damage is to blood vessels, not to how you feel today. Untreated high pressure strains the heart, brain, kidneys and eyes. Over time that raises the chance of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, vascular dementia and other circulation problems.
The useful news is the same as the worrying news: lowering blood pressure, even by a modest amount, reduces those risks. Treatment is about preventing a future event, not about chasing a symptom you can sense.
Rarely, very high pressure causes headaches, blurred vision or chest pain. Those are not the usual way people find out they have hypertension — they are a reason to get help the same day, not to wait for your next routine appointment.
How should I get it checked, and who does it?
From age 40, the NHS advises a check at least every 5 years if you have not had one. Many pharmacies offer free checks for people aged 40 or over; some charge, so ask at the counter. Workplaces sometimes offer checks too.
If you are 40 to 74 and do not already have heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease or treated high blood pressure, you should be invited to a free NHS Health Check about every 5 years. That visit usually includes blood pressure, cholesterol, and a conversation about your 10-year heart and stroke risk. If you have not been invited and think you are eligible, contact your GP practice or local council.
Bring a list of medicines. Sit quietly for a few minutes before the cuff goes on. If you measure at home, use a machine that fits your arm and follow the instructions that come with it — guessing the technique is how people collect a drawer full of scary, unusable numbers.
A 24-hour (ambulatory) monitor takes repeated readings while you go about a normal day and night. The NHS uses it, or a run of home readings, to confirm whether clinic numbers are truly high — including when they jump only in the surgery.
| Where to go | Use it when | Do not use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy or NHS Health Check | You feel well and want a routine reading, especially if you are 40 or over | You have sudden chest pain, severe breathlessness, or you feel very unwell |
| GP surgery | A reading is high, you need a diagnosis, medicines, or a review of treatment | You think you may be having a heart attack or stroke — that is 999 |
| NHS 111 | You often have headaches or blurred vision, chest pain that comes and goes, or you are unsure how urgent a high reading is | Symptoms of a heart attack — call 999 instead of waiting in a 111 queue |
| 999 | Chest pain that does not go away; pain spreading to an arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back; chest pain with sweating, sickness, light-headedness or breathlessness | A mildly raised reading with no other symptoms — that can wait for pharmacy or GP |
What can I change myself before, or alongside, tablets?
Lifestyle is not a consolation prize. The NHS highlights a balanced diet, less salt (including hidden salt in processed food), activity of at least 150 minutes a week, weight loss if you are overweight, alcohol within 14 units a week, less caffeine, and not smoking. Long-term stress is also listed as a risk factor.
None of these require a perfect overhaul in one week. Swapping the salt shaker, walking most days, and cutting back on beer or wine are the sorts of changes GPs actually see move readings. If you already take tablets, keep taking them while you change habits — feeling motivated is not the same as a safe stop date.
NHS Better Health tools can help with weight, activity, smoking and alcohol if you want structured support rather than another leaflet.
Will I need medicines, and for how long?
A GP usually considers tablets if your pressure is very high, if your overall risk of heart attack or stroke is higher, or if lifestyle changes have not brought readings down. There are several medicine groups. Age, ethnicity and other conditions (such as diabetes or kidney disease) influence which one is tried first. Many people need more than one tablet.
Most blood pressure medicines are taken once a day. They do not make you feel dramatically different, which is why people stop them. Stopping without advice can let pressure rebound. If a tablet gives you a dry cough, swollen ankles, dizziness or other side effects, ask for a switch — alternatives exist.
Reviews matter. Your GP or nurse will check readings and, for some medicines, kidney function and salts in the blood. Home diaries, if you have been shown how to measure, help them adjust treatment without guesswork.
When should I call 111 or 999 rather than waiting for a GP slot?
Call 999 if you get sudden chest pain or tightness that does not go away, pain that spreads to an arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or chest pain with sweating, sickness, light-headedness or breathlessness. Do not drive yourself to A&E.
Call NHS 111 if you often have headaches or blurred vision, if chest pain comes and goes, or if you have other symptoms you think could be linked to blood pressure and you cannot get a same-day GP view. A very high home reading plus a severe headache, confusion or sudden vision loss is not a “wait until Monday” problem — use 111 or 999 depending on how unwell you are.
If you already have high blood pressure and then develop new chest pain on walking that eases with rest, that can be angina. It still needs prompt assessment, even when it passes.
When is this page NOT the right thing to read?
This page is the wrong place if you think you are having a heart attack or stroke, if you follow a specialist kidney or pregnancy blood-pressure plan, or if you need detail on a named tablet you already take. Call 999 for emergency symptoms. Use NHS 111 if you are unsure how urgent a high reading is.
Pregnancy-related high blood pressure, including pre-eclampsia, needs obstetric advice, not this general adult guide. If you want medicine-by-medicine detail, use our blood pressure medicines page and the leaflet that came with your prescription.
Common questions about high blood pressure
- What counts as high blood pressure?
- Blood pressure is given as two numbers. The NHS usually considers it high if a clinic reading is 140/90 mmHg or more, or a home reading is 135/85 mmHg or more. One high reading is not a diagnosis — several readings, or a 24-hour monitor, are often used first.
- Does high blood pressure have symptoms?
- Usually not. Most people feel completely well, which is why it is sometimes called a "silent" condition and why regular checks matter. Rarely, very high blood pressure can cause headaches, blurred vision or chest pain — those need prompt medical advice, not a wait-and-see approach.
- How can I lower my blood pressure without tablets?
- Helpful steps include eating less salt, being more physically active (the NHS suggests at least 150 minutes of activity a week), keeping to a healthy weight, drinking no more than 14 alcohol units a week, cutting down on caffeine, not smoking and managing long-term stress. Your GP can tailor this to you.
- Will I need to take medication forever?
- Some people manage with lifestyle changes alone, while others need medication, sometimes long term. Your GP will review treatment regularly. Never stop blood pressure medicine without medical advice, even if you feel well.
- What causes high blood pressure?
- Often there is no single cause. Risk rises with age, extra weight, a high-salt diet, too much alcohol, inactivity, long-term stress, family history, smoking, and Black African, Black Caribbean or South Asian ethnic background. Other conditions, including kidney problems, can also play a part.
- What is a normal blood pressure reading?
- The NHS treats a clinic reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher, or a home reading of 135/85 mmHg or higher, as high. Lower readings are generally preferable, but your GP interprets numbers alongside your age and other risks. A one-off high result at the dentist or a supermarket machine is a prompt to recheck, not a diagnosis.
- When should I worry about high blood pressure?
- Do not wait for warning signs — get checked regularly from age 40, or sooner if you are at higher risk. Call NHS 111 if you often have headaches or blurred vision, or chest pain that comes and goes. Call 999 for chest pain that does not go away, pain spreading to an arm, neck, jaw or back, or chest pain with sweating, sickness or breathlessness.
- Can I get a free check without seeing a GP?
- Yes. Many pharmacies offer free blood pressure checks for people aged 40 or over. If you are 40 to 74 without a diagnosed heart or circulation condition, you should also be invited to an NHS Health Check about every 5 years, which includes blood pressure.