Bexhill stroke survivor warns people to take a moment and have a blood pressure check

A stroke survivor from Bexhill has joined forces with the Stroke Association to warn people in the South East to get their blood pressure checked.

Martin Harrison, 73, from Bexhill had a stroke in October 2016.Around six years ago Martin was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation (AF), a type of irregular heartbeat. Following his diagnosis, Martin made big lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, and began closely monitoring his blood pressure using a home blood pressure monitor on a regular basis.

However, Martin had a stroke five years later, which left him with limited movement in the left side of his body, short term memory loss and difficulties with concentration.

Unfortunately, Martin has since learnt that although he thought he was regularly checking his blood pressure, his blood pressure device was not giving accurate readings because of his irregular heartbeat. As a result, his stroke was caused by undiagnosed high blood pressure, and thinning of blood from his AF medication (warfarin).

Martin said: “Since being diagnosed with AF I’ve known how important it is to keep an eye on my blood pressure. I was devastated when I realised the blood pressure readings I’d taken so regularly were inaccurate.

“I’m really passionate about raising awareness of the importance of checking your blood pressure properly. I felt absolutely fine, fit and healthy – I never thought a stroke could happend to me, but it did.”

Stroke strikes every five minutes in the UK. High blood pressure is the biggest controllable risk factor for stroke, yet it’s estimated that around 5.5 million people in the UK are living with undiagnosed high blood pressure.

Tara Galloway, Interim Lead for the Stroke Association in the South East, said: “There are over nine and a half million people in the UK with high blood pressure and more than 5.5 million remain undiagnosed with the condition. It only takes a moment to check your blood pressure; it’s one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of a stroke.”

The Stroke Association is offering free blood pressure information packs to raise awareness of the link between blood pressure and stroke and to encourage more people to have their blood pressure tested. The pack is available to download from stroke.org.uk/moments and includes tips about how to maintain a healthy blood pressure, and how and where to get your blood pressure checked.

The Stroke Association also hosts blood pressure checks at community events throughout the year. To find your nearest blood pressure event, you can visit www.stroke.org.uk/kybp.