“I bought a blood pressure monitor to use at home because I wanted to know if my blood pressure was creeping up.
“My mum had high blood pressure all her life and died of kidney failure because of it. I started thinking about her and what I could do so as not to repeat her experience. I also know that lots of people have high blood pressure without knowing it, so I didn’t want any nasty surprises.
“At first, I was doing it wrong, but they gave me a leaflet with the monitor and I also watched a video on how to measure my own blood pressure, so now I’ve got the hang of it. Now, I just send my readings in to my GP every six months or so when they contact me. I’d recommend getting a home blood pressure monitor to anyone who’s worried, and they’re not expensive. Or you can speak to your GP and ask them to monitor your blood pressure for you.
“As well as keeping an eye on my blood pressure, I’ve also lost a lot of weight over the years, I’ve reduced salt in my diet and I try to think more about what I’m eating. I’m very happy to say I don’t have high blood pressure, and I feel more in control of my health!”