Blood Pressure Check in Point Cook
High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, so the only way to know your numbers is to have them checked. A quick check with your GP is a simple step for your heart health.
Reading the two numbers
Readings are written as two numbers in millimetres of mercury (mmHg), such as 120/80. Systolic, the top figure, measures pressure as the heart pumps. Diastolic, the bottom one, measures it while the heart relaxes between beats.
Under 120/80 is generally considered ideal for adults. In the clinic, 140/90 or more is usually regarded as high, although the right target for you depends on your age, other conditions and overall heart risk.
How often to check
The Heart Foundation recommends that adults have their blood pressure checked at least every two years. More frequent checks make sense for anyone in these groups:
- Past high readings
- Diabetes, kidney disease or heart disease
- High blood pressure, heart attack or stroke in a parent or sibling
- Smoking, extra weight or low activity levels
- Pregnancy, or high blood pressure in an earlier pregnancy
Ways it can be measured
Blood pressure checks and 24-hour blood pressure monitoring are both offered at the clinic. For the 24-hour test, an upper-arm cuff connects to a small recorder on your belt. It inflates every so often, day and night, as you carry on as usual. Relax and keep the arm still each time it tightens.
Home readings are another option. If a high reading is confirmed, see Hypertension Management for longer-term care.
Tips for a reliable reading
- No caffeine, smoking or exercise in the 30 minutes before
- Rest in a chair beforehand, back supported, both feet on the floor
- Rest your arm at heart height and stay silent during the reading
- At home, use a validated upper-arm monitor rather than a wrist device
- Record two readings, one minute apart, each morning and evening for roughly seven days
White coat and masked high blood pressure
Some people’s numbers rise only in a medical setting, known as white coat hypertension. Others are the opposite: normal at the doctor but high in daily life, called masked hypertension. Either a 24-hour recording or a week of home readings can tell these apart, which helps avoid starting medicine that is not needed or missing pressure that is.
Bringing high numbers down
Eating less salt, following a pattern rich in vegetables, fruit and wholegrains, moving more, cutting back on alcohol, quitting cigarettes and losing some weight can all lower blood pressure. Many people also need medicine. It works quietly in the background, so keep taking it when you feel well and have regular reviews.
Blood pressure is one piece of your overall risk of heart attack and stroke. From age 45, a Heart Health Check puts it together with cholesterol, blood sugar and lifestyle.
Medicines and conditions that raise it
Some everyday medicines can push blood pressure up, including anti-inflammatory pain relievers, decongestant cold and flu tablets, and some forms of the contraceptive pill. Liquorice, heavy drinking and untreated sleep apnoea can also play a part, and kidney or hormone problems are occasional causes. Tell the doctor about everything you take, including over-the-counter and herbal products.
Urgent warning signs
Very high readings together with a severe headache, chest pain, confusion, weakness or trouble speaking needs emergency care. Call 000.
Fees and bulk billing
Out-of-pocket fees apply to most consultations, and each practitioner sets their own fees. Bulk billing is available with all our doctors for Veterans’ Affairs patients, pensioners over 65, childhood and adult immunisations and GP care plans. See our fees page or call reception before you book.