We had the pleasure on Friday 2 nd June to have Gil Farley from the Stroke Association talk to
us about the causes and effects of strokes. Gil had volunteering with the Stroke Association
for 10 years after a career as an Occupational Therapist in the NHS mainly dealing with
accident trauma to the head.
Gil gave us a resume of the excellent support work carried out by the Stroke Association and
explained that there were three types of stroke: a blocked blood vessel in the brain (85% of
cases); a bleed on the brain (rarer and mainly among younger people); and the smaller
Transient ischemic attack (TIA).
She emphasised the importance of swift action is someone displayed the symptoms of having
a stroke:
F – facial, has one side of their face dropped
A – arms, can they raise both arms
S – speech, is their speech slurred
T – time to act fast and call 999
The physical and mental effects of a stroke could be devastating, and the association offered
an extensive range of after care support for any sufferers.
Explaining how strokes could be prevented, it was surprising to learn that 95% could be
prevented and that 50% were caused by high blood pressure, an Annual Health Check at your
GP was essential as the majority did not know what their blood pressure was.
For those who wish to have more knowledge the Stroke Association website is an excellent
source of information – www.stroke.org.uk