These are the blood pressure tablet side effects you MUST look out for - and why you should always tell your GP immediately: DR PHILIPPA KAYE

Years ago, while on a home visit to see an elderly patient with an infected leg ulcer, I realised for the first time that Britain has a blood pressure pill problem.While examining the patient, let's call her Mary, I discovered that her blood pressure was sky-high, and I asked if she'd taken her medication that morning.Mary was on three different blood pressure drugs. 'Oh yes,' she said. 'The chemist delivers them every month.'Only Mary hadn't really answered the question. When I asked again, she admitted she took them about once a week – sometimes less.Mary opened a cupboard to show me boxes and boxes of unused pills, all dutifully delivered, but never taken.She said she wasn't anti-medication and she knew the deadly risks of high blood pressure. However, the first drug she had been prescribed had made her ankles swell, so she'd all but stopped taking it.Mary didn't tell her GP that she wasn't taking the tablets, so when he saw that her blood pressure was still raised, he prescribed a second pill. Studies show that around half to 80 per cent of patients do not take their blood pressure medicines as instructed, while 15 per cent do not take them at allBut this one gave her a nagging cough, so she rarely took it either. Eventually, Mary's GP – still in the dark about her side effects – put her on a third tablet.Mary says that when she tried taking all three at once, she fainted. After that, she took 'some or one' every few days, but mainly just before her checkup with her GP.It's an extreme story to be sure, but this is a shockingly common phenomenon.Millions of people in the UK take blood pressure tablets, which are proven to slash the risk of deadly heart attacks and strokes. However, studies show that around half to 80 per cent of patients do not take these medicines as instructed.In fact, according to one 2017 study, around 15 per cent of patients do not take their blood pressure pills at all.The reason why so many people forego these drugs is clear: common and uncomfortable side effects that range from light-headedness to swollen ankles. The 'pril' drugs like ramipril or lisinopril can trigger a dry, tickly cough that won't go away, usually starting within a few weeks of treatment Having high blood pressure dramatically raises the risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and even dementiaThese complications are rarely serious, but they are unpleasant. High blood pressure, meanwhile, causes no symptoms at all, so patients do not notice any benefit to taking the drugs. It's easy to see why it would be tempting for patients to stop taking them altogether.The problem is that these tablets, while uncomfortable in the short-term, are life-savers in the long-term. The fact that so many Britons are not taking them means that there are surely countless preventable heart attacks and strokes happening every year.Moreover, there are steps patients can take to limit the risk or severity of these side effects. First though, it's important to explain what exactly is blood pressure.Blood pressure is simply the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. It's raised by things like getting older, carrying excess weight, eating too much salt, drinking too much alcohol, smoking, stress and a family history of the condition. GP, author and broadcaster Dr Philippa KayeLeft uncontrolled over years, high blood pressure damages your blood vessels and heart, and significantly increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and dementia.Around a third of British adults are thought to have high blood pressure – many of whom have no idea they have the condition.The good news is that there are lifestyle changes that are proven to lower blood pressure.One is cutting body weight by 5 to 10 per cent if you're overweight. Another important one is slashing salt intake – arguably the most effective dietary change high blood pressure patients should make.Staying physically active, cutting down on alcohol, stopping smoking and eating plenty of fruit and vegetables all help too.But lifestyle changes don't work for everyone. Some people are too frail, elderly or unwell to exercise more or overhaul their diet. Others make every change possible and still don't get a good enough drop in their blood pressure. That's where medication comes in – and there are many of them.One of the most common types are ACE inhibitors – the 'pril' drugs like ramipril or lisinopril. These can trigger dizziness or lightheadedness.But their most notorious side effect is a dry, tickly cough that won't go away, usually starting within a few weeks of treatment.If it bothers you, it's important you go back to your GP, as we can usually switch you to another, like losartan, which works similarly but rarely causes a cough.Sometimes ACE inhibitors can cause swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, which needs urgent medical attention.But, for most, the cough is about the worst of it.Another regularly-prescribed type of blood pressure tablet are calcium channel blockers, such as amlodipine, which relax the walls of your blood vessels.These can trigger headaches, facial flushing and constipation. However, the most common side effect is swelling of the ankles and legs, which leads many patients to stop taking them.Staying active, avoiding standing for long periods, elevating your legs, or taking the dose in the evening can help. However, patients really struggling with side effects can also ask their GP to lower the dose or change the medication entirely.Then there are diuretics, like indapamide, which work by making you urinate more. This is exactly what many people find unbearable. One solution is to take the dose in the morning so it doesn't disturb your sleep.But, even then, it's not uncommon for patients to ask to come off a diuretic due to this annoying side effect.However, the only way to get a new blood pressure medication is to speak to your GP. Simply not taking the tablets is not a solution – it's a decision that will markedly raise your risk of a heart attack or stroke.I understand, completely, that nobody wants to take a pill every single day for the rest of their life if they can possibly avoid it – and the side effects of blood pressure tablets really can affect your life.But there is almost always something your GP can do to help, whether that's a lower dose, a different drug, or simply reassurance about what to expect. Don't suffer in silence, and don't quietly stop – come and talk to us instead.