High blood pressure affects about 25 per cent of all UK adults, according to the NHS.
It’s difficult to know whether you have the condition, which is also known as hypertension, as the symptoms only appear if you have extremely high blood pressure.
Finding blood in your urine, vision problems, and having a pounding in your chest could all be signs of high blood pressure.
Every UK adult over 40 years old are advised to check their blood pressure at least every five years.
But, what is a normal blood pressure for your age?
Your blood pressure is recorded in millimetres of mercury, and uses two numbers; the systolic and diastolic pressure.
The systolic pressure – the first number in your reading – is the force that your heart pumps blood around the body.
The diastolic pressure is the resistance to blood flow in the blood vessels. It’s the second number in your reading.
An ideal blood pressure is somewhere between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg.
You could be at risk of high blood pressure if you’re above 120/80mmHg.
Blood pressure increases as you get older, according to medical website Thrombocyte.
By 60 years old, a normal blood pressure is 134/87mmHg, it said.
That’s compared to just 90/60mmHg for a child up to one years old.
This is what a normal blood pressure should be for your age:
• 1 to 12 months – 90/60mmHg
• 1 to 5 years – 95/65mmHg
• 6 to 13 years – 105/70mmHg
• 14 to 19 years – 117/77mmHg
• 20 to 24 years – 120/79mmHg
• 25 to 29 years – 121/80mmHg
• 30 to 34 years – 122/81mmHg
• 35 to 39 years – 123/82mmHg
• 40 to 44 years – 125/83mmHg
• 45 to 49 years – 127/84mmHg
• 50 to 54 years – 129/85mmHg
• 55 to 59 years – 131/86mmHg
• 60 to 64 years – 134/87mmHg
You could lower your blood pressure by cutting back on the amount of salt in your diet, the NHS said.
Getting at least six hours of sleep every night will also cut your chance of hypertension.
Preventing high blood pressure is very important, as it increases your risk of some life-threatening complications, including heart disease and strokes.
The only way of knowing if you have high blood pressure is to get it checked.
Speak to a GP or pharmacist to check your blood pressure.
