ABOUT BLOOD PRESSURE
Blood pressure is a measure of the amount of work that your heart must do to keep your blood moving around your body. A normal blood pressure reading is around 120/80mmHg. The top number, 120 (called systolic pressure) is a measure of your blood pressure at its highest, as your heart muscles push the blood out of the heart and around the body. When your heart relaxes between beats blood moves back into your heart and the pressure at this point is the bottom number, 80 (called diastolic pressure).
Half of people with high blood pressure are not aware that they have the condition as it doesn't always have symptoms. If left untreated it may lead to conditions like heart disease or stroke.
It is not unusual for people to have a high blood pressure reading at the doctor or pharmacy and to have a normal reading at home where they are typically more relaxed. Measuring your blood pressure at regular intervals over a 24 hour period gives a much clearer picture of how your blood pressure changes throughout the day. It is a more accurate reading of your blood pressure instead of a single snapshot at a particular point in the day.