15/05/2026
The month of May is widely recognised as Hypertension Awareness month, with a special focus on the 17th May, designated as World Hypertension day.
This year, the theme is: "Controlling Hypertension Together: check your blood pressure regularly, defeat the silent killer”
An estimated 1.4 billion people live with hypertension and an estimated 600 million adults with hypertension (44%) are unaware that they have the condition.
But what is hypertension?
Hypertension or 'High blood pressure' as it is more commonly known, is when the pressure in your blood vessels is too high.
Sometimes one may not feel the symptoms and may only find out when their blood pressure is checked. Although this may seem harmless it can develop into something more sinister if not treated and managed well. Other times, symptoms such as severe headaches,nausea, vomitting, dizznes buzzing in the ears may present.
Having high blood pressure can contribute to angina, a heart attack/failure, irregular heartbeat, strokes, kidney damage/failure. These can all lead to sudden death depending on the severity.
Physiotherapists aim to be holistic with our management, so at PHT our top tips help with healing and to control our blood pressure:
1. Diet- balanced diets, reduce the salt and saturated fats in the diet
2. Being more active - researchs show atleast 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity is key along with strengthening exercises atleast twice a week.
3. If you have a desk-based job with lots of sitting, take regular movement breaks
4. Find ways to manage your stress effectively, going for walks in a green space is a great idea
5. If you are at risk, ensure you seeing your GP/Nurse/Pharmacist to get checked regularly.
