Blood pressure check could save your life, says Bexhill stroke survivor

A Sussex man who had a stroke after his blood pressure unexpectedly soared is warning others to check theirs regularly.

Michael O’Dell had been diagnosed with high blood pressure and put on medication which had been successfully managing it. Initially he checked frequently but slipped out of the habit and failed to spot the surge in blood pressure which caused his stroke which affected him physically and emotionally.

He’s sharing his stroke in support of the Stroke Association’s Stroke Prevention Day awareness campaign on Thursday 30 January.

Michael, 53, lives in Bexhill with his wife Mandy, 52, and daughters Amber 25, Jodie 21, Nancy 17.

He was at home when he had his stroke on 2 December, 2023.

“It was 9.30am and I decided to go back to bed. I tried to pull the covers over and after seven attempts looked at my arm and it wasn’t moving,” said Michael.

“Luckily, Mandy was at home. She heard me walking around the bedroom banging into the wardrobe. I felt no pain, no warning it was very weird. Absolutely no other symptoms.

“We both knew what it was straight away. I knew when I couldn’t move my arm. My mum and dad both had strokes.”

Michael was rushed to Eastbourne District General Hospital where stroke was confirmed and he was told his blood pressure was 190 over 110. Anything over 140 over 90 is regarded as high when measured by a health professional.

Michael had been diagnosed with high blood pressure and diabetes in 2015 when his weight reached 20st 9lbs.

He had lost two stones when he had his stroke and after checking his blood pressure regularly became complacent.

“They said it was 190 over 110. I had no idea it had jumped that much. I used to check it once a week. Last year I stopped checking, I don’t know why. It never got to a level which concerned me at all which is probably why I stopped. The doctors weren’t able to explain why it had risen.

“My prescription has now changed significantly. Everybody I meet now I tell them that. It doesn’t matter how old you are, just check your blood pressure. Now I check it twice a day, which I probably don’t need to, but I do it for reassurance.

“Check your blood pressure now and again. Don’t just know stroke is bad for you, read up on what happens. The education needs to be a bit louder. I got off pretty lightly.

“Initially the psychological side of my stroke really affected me, I also think the first month I tried to block out it happened.

“I have a few issues now such as lower left leg paralysed/numb tingly. Weakness left shoulder and a few other things. I just hope my brain rewires those issues.”

He was supported by the Stroke Association’s Sussex Stroke Recovery Service six-month post review service.

“Meeting Marie from the Stroke Association really helped. It was very good just to talk to someone who knows what I am going through.”

Michael has worked in professional esports for 26 years and was recently appointed manager of the Great Britain Esports Team at British Esports.

His role for the GB Team will see him lead athletes into international competition and with the forthcoming inaugural Olympic Esports Games set to take place in Saudi Arabia he will be hoping to support the development of future gold medalists.

He is also Director of Gaming and Esports for SCAN Computers and managed some of the biggest teams in the world including over 100 World Champions."

High blood pressure accounts for half or strokes

New statistics from the Stroke Association show that a worryingly large proportion of UK adults don’t know that high blood pressure is the most likely cause of stroke.

Findings from the leading stroke support charity show that 36% of people who have experience of, and therefore a connection, to stroke don’t know that high blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for the condition.

In addition, the Stroke Association has found that awareness levels are even lower amongst people who don’t have such a connection to stroke, with 43% not knowing that high blood pressure is the leading risk factor for stroke.

There are 1.4 million people in the UK who are survivors of stroke and someone has a stroke every five minutes, with high blood pressure accounting for around half of those.

Stroke survivors are frequently left with physical and mental disabilities including paralysis, problems with vision, difficulties swallowing and a struggle to communicate.

Nick O’Donohue, the Stroke Association’s associate director for the South East, said: “Around 100,000 people in the UK have a stroke every year. Worryingly, this has been increasing over the last 20 years, particularly amongst people of working age.

“The lives of the 90,000 people who survive stroke every year in the UK change in an instant as the condition impacts on their ability to live physically and mentally well.

“It is vital that everyone knows what can cause a stroke, so they can proactively look after their health to reduce the risk. We’re encouraging adults of any age to get their blood pressure checked on a regular basis. This will equip them with knowledge on whether they are at risk of having a stroke so that they can take steps to reduce their chances, if required.”

Find out more at www.stroke.org.uk/stroke-prevention-day

Whilst people of any age can have a stroke, it is most likely to impact those over the age of 65. Free blood pressure checks are available from the GP, participating pharmacies, and are also part of NHS health checks for those over the age of 40 in England and Wales.

Yet recent data from the National Audit Office found that only 44% of eligible adults attended these health checks in the last five years.