Stroke
• The first sign of a stroke might not seem like much. Like not being able to raise your arm, or struggling to smile, or slurring when you speak. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, any sign of a stroke is always an emergency
• Even if it doesn’t seem like it, any sign of stroke is always an emergency, so call 999 immediately if you or someone else experiences a single symptom. The first signs of a stroke include:
• Face weakness – it might be hard to smile, and one side of your face may droop (fall)
• Arm weakness – you may not be able to fully lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness in one arm
• Speech problems – you may slur your words or sound confused
Other symptoms that could be the first sign you or someone else is having a stroke include:
• Sudden weakness or numbness on one side of your body (including in your leg)
• Sudden loss of vision or blurred vision in one or both eyes
• Sudden difficulty speaking or thinking of words
• Sudden memory loss or confusion
• Sudden severe headache
• Sudden dizziness, unsteadiness or a sudden fall, especially with any of the other signs
Act FAST. Face or arm or speech, at the first sign, it's time to call 999.
Hypertension
• High blood pressure usually has no symptoms.
• You could be one of millions living with high blood pressure without knowing it.
• An estimated 4.2 million adults in England currently have undiagnosed high blood pressure.
• Left untreated, high blood pressure can significantly increase your risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and vascular dementia.
• The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to get a blood pressure test.
• It’s a free, simple and a non-invasive procedure conducted in privacy at your local pharmacy, and you don’t need to book in advance.
• If you're aged 40 and over, you can get a free blood pressure check at a local pharmacy, unless you’ve already been diagnosed with high blood pressure or a doctor, nurse or pharmacist has checked your blood pressure in the past 6 months.
• High blood pressure can often be prevented or reduced by eating healthily, maintaining a healthy weight, taking regular exercise, drinking alcohol in moderation, and not smoking.
• Even if your blood pressure is high, then there are things you can do to treat it with lifestyle changes and/or medication.
Heart Attack
Heart attack symptoms and signs can vary from person to person, but the most common include pain or squeezing across the chest and a feeling of unease. You might be surprised to hear symptoms don’t always feel severe – some people may have other symptoms such as shortness of breath, feeling or being sick and back or jaw pain without any chest pain.
If you think you or somebody you’re with is having a heart attack, don’t be tempted to dismiss the signs or wait to see what happens. The faster you act, the better their chances.
It’s never too early to call 999 and check.