Stroke

Take a look at the video below to know how to spot the signs.

Call 999 immediately and ask for an ambulance.

You are at greater risk of having a stroke if you have:

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Irregular heart beats (known as atrial fibrillation)
• Diabetes

You can reduce your risk of having a stroke by:

• Eating healthily
• Regularly exercising
• Following alcohol guidelines
• Stopping smoking

Self refer yourself to any of the services below to lower your risk of having a stroke:

Free help to lose weight and get active

Quit Well Newham stop smoking service

Nutrition kitchen nutrition course

According to the Stroke Association, Atrial fibrillation is a cause of 1 in 5 strokes, but half a million people are living with Atrial fibrillation and don't know it.

Atrial fibrillation is when your heart beats with an irregular rhythm. When this happens, your heart won’t empty all of the blood out of its chambers with every beat. Then, if your heart chambers aren’t empty, the leftover blood can form clots which travel from your heart into the brain, blocking off blood flow and causing a stroke. 

But not everyone has obvious symptoms. You can check yourself or your friends and family at home, with a simple pulse check. Take a look at the video below to find out how to check your pulse.

After you have a stroke, it’s even more important to reduce your risk by living a healthy lifestyle. Click on the services above to self-refer yourself for support.