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When to get help

What to do if your reading is very high or low, or you have worrying symptoms. This follows NHS advice. If you’re already being treated for high blood pressure, follow the advice your doctor gave you.

Call 999 or go to A&E now

If you have a very high reading and symptoms such as:

  • confusion
  • blurry vision
  • chest pains
  • a fast, irregular or pounding heartbeat
  • breathlessness
  • peeing less than normal
  • nausea or vomiting

Call 999 for any of these too, as you could be having a heart attack:

  • sudden pain or discomfort in your chest that does not go away. The pain can feel like squeezing or pressure inside your chest, burning or indigestion.
  • pain that spreads to your left or right arm, or your neck, jaw, stomach or back
  • chest pain and you feel sweaty, sick, light headed or short of breath

Do not drive yourself to A&E.

Call 999

Urgent GP appointment today, or call 111

If you have a very high reading but no symptoms, and you’re not currently being treated for high blood pressure, ask for an urgent GP appointment. If you cannot get an appointment today, call 111.

Also call 111 if:

  • you often have headaches or blurred vision
  • you have chest pain that comes and goes
  • you have other symptoms you’re worried could be caused by high blood pressure
Call 111

What counts as very high?

For a reading taken by a health professional, very high is a top number of 180 or more, or a bottom number of 120 or more. For a home reading, the NHS reading tool treats 170 or more, or 100 or more, as very high.

A high home reading: within 2 working days

If your home reading is high (135/85 or more) but not very high, the NHS says to contact your GP surgery or pharmacy within 2 working days. Book an appointment to have your blood pressure checked by a healthcare professional, and tell them your home reading and that it’s high. If you start to feel unwell in the meantime, call 111.

Slightly raised

Contact your GP surgery if you get symptoms such as dizziness and fainting. If you’re worried about your symptoms, call 111.

Low blood pressure

If your reading is low (below 90/60) and you get symptoms such as dizziness and fainting, ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111. Low blood pressure without symptoms is not usually a problem. See Low blood pressure.

Unusual pulse

NHS England’s pharmacy guidance is that a pulse below 50 or above 115 beats a minute should be seen by a GP or urgent care the same day.

If you’re pregnant

High blood pressure in pregnancy can be a sign of pre-eclampsia. A severe headache, vision problems, pain below the ribs or sudden swelling of the face, hands or feet need checking immediately. Call your maternity unit, or 111 if you can’t reach them. See Blood pressure in pregnancy.