Free Blood Pressure Checks

High blood pressure is often called a silent condition, and the name is accurate. It usually produces no symptoms at all until it has already done damage, to the heart, the kidneys, the eyes or the brain. Most people who have it do not know. Many find out only after a stroke.

The only way to know is to measure it. At Chetu Chemist that measurement is free, every day we are open, whether or not you buy anything.

Why we do not charge for this

A blood pressure cuff costs us very little to use. Charging for it would mean people check less often, and checking often is the entire point. Someone who pops in every week because it costs nothing will catch a rising number months before someone who only checks when they feel unwell , and by then it is not early any more.

So there is no fee, no minimum purchase and no appointment. Walk in, sit down, and we will take your reading.

What the numbers actually mean

A reading comes as two numbers, for example 120/80 mmHg.

• The top number (systolic) is the pressure while your heart is contracting.
• The bottom number (diastolic) is the pressure while it is resting between beats.

As a broad guide for adults:

One high reading is not a diagnosis. Blood pressure moves throughout the day, and it rises if you have just walked fast in the sun, argued with someone, drunk coffee or smoked. That is exactly why a single measurement in a clinic once a year tells you so little, and why free repeat checks are more useful than one paid one.

Getting a reading that is actually yours

To make the number mean something:

• Sit quietly for five minutes first. If you have hurried here, wait before we measure.
• Avoid coffee and cigarettes for about thirty minutes beforehand.
• Keep both feet flat on the floor and do not cross your legs.
• Rest your arm on the counter at roughly the height of your heart.
• Stay quiet during the measurement. Talking raises the reading measurably.

We will take more than one reading if the first looks unusually high, because a single startled measurement is not a fair picture of anybody.

What we do with the result

We write it down for you, so you build a record over time rather than a series of forgotten numbers. A trend is far more informative than any single reading, and it is what a doctor will want to see.

If your reading is high, our pharmacist will talk you through what that means, what is worth changing, and, importantly, whether you need a doctor rather than advice. If it is very high, we will tell you to go to hospital now, not later.

If you are already on treatment for hypertension, regular checks tell you and your doctor whether the current dose is doing its job. That is a conversation worth having with real numbers in hand.

Bring your own machine if you have one

If you have a home blood pressure monitor, bring it in. We will take a reading with ours and one with yours so you can see whether they agree.

Home monitors drift over time, and cheap wrist devices in particular can be well out. If yours reads consistently low, you may be falsely reassured; if it reads high, you may be worrying needlessly or, worse, adjusting medication on bad information. A two-minute comparison settles it.

We will also check that your cuff is the right size for your arm, which is the single most common reason home readings are wrong.

If you look after someone else

A great deal of blood pressure monitoring in Kisumu is done by a family member rather than the patient, an adult child checking on a parent, or a spouse keeping a record.

You are welcome to bring someone in, and you are welcome to come and ask questions on their behalf. If mobility is the problem and getting to us is genuinely difficult, say so when you call and we will talk through the options.

The things that actually move the number

Nobody needs another lecture, so briefly, and honestly: the changes that make the biggest difference to blood pressure in Kenyan households are cutting down on salt, cutting down on alcohol, moving more, losing weight if you are carrying extra, and stopping smoking. Reducing salt alone has a measurable effect for most people, and it is free.

If you have been prescribed medication, take it every day, including on the days you feel completely fine. Hypertension does not announce itself when it comes back, that is the entire problem with it.

Come and get checked

You do not need a reason, an appointment or a purchase. If you are over thirty and cannot remember your last reading, that is reason enough. Walk in and ask.