A Northern Ireland man has opened up about suffering a shock stroke at just 22 years old and is now warning other young people to get their blood pressure checked regularly.
Andrew Oliver, 28, from Co Armagh was among over a third of UK adults don’t know that high blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for stroke
Eighteen months prior to his 2017 stroke, Andrew was hospitalised for having high blood pressure, which was twice the recommended limit. At the time he was unaware that high blood pressure is the cause of almost half of all strokes.
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New statistics released today from the Stroke Association collected last month (December), 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.
Their connection to stroke - either through their own diagnosis or that of a loved one - is likely to increase their knowledge of stroke and its causes. 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.
To mark Stroke Prevention Day today, Andrew and the Stroke Association are encouraging people to have their blood pressure regularly checked. As well as high blood pressure, risk factors of stroke also include poor diet, lack of exercise and smoking.
Those with high blood pressure readings should consult their GP and also consider cutting their stroke risk by reducing salt intake, regularly exercising, reviewing alcohol consumption, and smokers should try to quit.
Andrew said: “I didn’t even know high blood pressure could cause a stroke in young people. After attending a routine check-up with my doctor, I was shocked to find out that my blood pressure was twice the recommended levels.
“I had a two-week hospital stay where they helped treat the symptoms but not the cause, which I believe was the overwhelming stress and anxiety I was experiencing at that time. I really want more people to get their blood pressure checked out regularly – no matter what age they are.”
Andrew says his stroke came as a complete shock because it happened to him in his sleep.
"I woke up the day after Boxing Day 2017 feeling groggy, like I was drunk. I thought I was just tired. After an hour or two, I still didn’t feel better. I was off balance, but it never clicked that it was a stroke."
But he didn’t recognise his symptoms and it was his uncle who suggested it could be a stroke: "I called my uncle who said I was slurring my words but if you had asked me, I knew what I was saying, but he couldn’t understand me. That’s when it hit me – either I’m dreaming, or something is wrong."
Andrew’s aunt dialled 999 but it took over an hour for an ambulance to arrive and once in A&E he was misdiagnosed. It then took over 12 hours for a stroke specialist to take over.
"The next morning, I woke up, and the power in my left side was gone. When I tried to get up, my leg buckled, and I realised how much had changed."
Andrew spent three months in two different hospitals: "There were discrepancies between how different physios taught me, and I felt like I was back to square one."
Although he’s had setbacks, Andrew says he has come to embrace accountability in his recovery with the mindset that "you get out what you put in".
Andrew has set up his own blog, 'The Long Road Ahead', to help other younger people who have endured a stroke or brain injury. He wants people to know that your life isn’t over after a stroke and what help is available.
Alasdair O’Hara, Northern Ireland Director at the Stroke Association, said: “Around 4,000 people in NI have a stroke every year. Worryingly, this has been increasing over the last 20 years, particularly amongst people of working age. Stroke changes lives in an instant and can impact on a stroke survivor’s ability to live physically and mentally well.
“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.”
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. Chest, Heart and Stroke Northern Ireland offer well checks, which include a blood pressure check.
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