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

A Haslemere man whose undiagnosed blood high blood pressure caused him to have a stroke is warning others to check theirs – it could save their life.

Trevor Cruickshank, from Haslemere, was 43 years old in 2020, when his life was ‘turned upside down’ by his stroke.

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

Trevor, who owns a local catering business, started to feel “a strange foggy haze of tiredness” whilst out on a delivery for work. The following day he was convinced to call 111 to seek help.

“Within ten minutes a paramedic was in my house, warning me that I could be having a stroke and that I needed to go hospital immediately.”

Trevor was rushed to Frimley Park Hospital stroke unit where he spent three days recovering from his stroke. The stroke left Trevor with weakness down the right side of his body; he struggled to walk and move his right hand.

“Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, my husband Chris, was unable to visit me in hospital. I had to call Chris to explain what was happening, and I remember hearing the pain in his voice as he was reassuring me that we would get through this together.

“I count myself very lucky to have made a good recovery after a stroke, even though there have been hard days. Since having the stroke, I’ve found out that relatives have also had strokes but never spoken about it.

“I’ve realised that a stroke can happen to anyone at any time, but if you are of African or Caribbean origin you may have a higher risk of stroke than other people in the UK.

“I’m now really passionate about raising awareness; I never thought it would happen to me, but I believe it’s so important we all talk about it and share our experiences to help others.

“One of the most crucial things is to get your blood pressure checked. It could save your life.”

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.”

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.

If you have high blood pressure, and want to support the Stroke Association, get involved with its fundraising initiative, Stride for Stroke. The charity is asking people to take one step for each of the 1.4 million stroke survivors currently living in the UK, which works out as 10,000 steps per day for 140 days.

Spin or Swim for Stroke also allows participants to set a personal challenge for time or distance. Or Run 50 asks people to cover 50 miles across a month of their choice. Visit Choose Your Challenge | Stroke Association

The Stroke Association supports stroke survivors and their families by phone, at home, and in the community. Find out more at www.stroke.org.uk

The charity is also lobbying the Government to prioritise stroke prevention as part of the 10 Year Health Plan for England. Find out more, and share your thoughts on the 10 Year Health Plan here: 10 Year Health Plan | Stroke Association.