A ‘MONSTER’ hangover wasn’t out of the ordinary for Alexandra Bowles – in fact, it was expected after a girl’s night out in her hometown of Essex.
But this time, the 23-year-old had a gut feeling something was off.
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It would be several days before Alex discovered her hangover symptoms, including a headache and sickness, were in fact a stroke.
“Life as I knew it completely changed,” Alex, now 34, tells Sun Health.
“I became less confident, sociable and became increasingly emotional and angry. I still struggle today with the side effects of the stroke – understanding even simple things can be really tricky for me.”
Some 100,000 strokes happen each year in the UK, causing 38,000 related deaths. “Worryingly, this has been increasing over the last 20 years, particularly amongst people of working age,” says Juliet Bouverie OBE, CEO of the Stroke Association.
Currently, around one in four strokes occur in people under the age of 60 – but there is evidence this is growing.
“There’s no one reason behind the increase in strokes amongst younger people – it’s likely to be a combination of factors, many of which may be related to certain lifestyle choices,” she says.
A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, either by a blood clot or a bleed.
Juliet says: “Around 1.9 million brain cells die every minute after a stroke hits, so speedy treatment is vital to help minimise the damage caused.
“In severe cases, stroke can result in a coma, complete paralysis, and death – stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the UK.
“There is a common misconception that stroke is solely a killer but for 240 people in the UK every day, stroke is the start of a long and gruelling journey to recovery.”
Stroke can lead to lifelong problems with movement, speech and communication, vision, memory, balance and more.
Alex’s story isn’t unique, yet 60 per cent of the UK population wrongly believe that strokes don’t happen to young people, the charity has found.
“People don’t think young people have a stroke – but these days it is more common,” says Juliet. Alex had been suffering from a headache for a week before her stroke in 2014.
Because I had a bleed and clot at the same time, they could not treat either without making the other worse
Alex
Remembering that Friday night out, she says: “The next day I thought it was a hangover, but by Sunday I had a dull headache and felt like half my head was missing.”
She didn’t go to work on the Monday and was sick before she went to bed. It was her cleaner who raised the alarm on Tuesday, after noting Alex was slurring her speech and not making sense.
She was blue-lighted to Queens Hospital in Essex, Romford but says: “I was in A&E for quite a long time – but they thought I was exaggerating a headache.”
Thankfully, Alex says one doctor flagged that it was unusual for a woman her age to be lying on the floor in her pyjamas for a headache.
He pushed for a scan, which revealed she’d suffered both types of stroke: ischaemic (a blood clot) and haemorrhagic (a bleed).
“Because I had a bleed and clot at the same time, they could not treat either without making the other worse,” Alex says.
‘Angry and frustrated‘
“They had to hope the bleed would stop by itself, as otherwise it would be brain surgery. I was in bed with no idea what was going on.”
When the bleeding did stop, doctors were able to treat the clot with blood thinners.
Alex remained in hospital for two weeks, unable to read or write, and she had lost basic understanding, failing to recognise a picture of a dog.
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It took a year of occupational therapy counselling for Alex to feel “more normal” and be able to read again – in that time, she had to give up her job working in admin for a children’s nursery and at a horse sanctuary.
She says: “I got angry and frustrated quickly and could not understand why things were different. I was reluctant to accept I was ‘different’ and I became totally reliant on family and friends.”
The driving force behind a surge in strokes in young people is not clear. But an unhealthy diet, smoking, excessive alcohol and lack of exercise and known risk factors, generally.
Juliet says: “These all contribute to high blood pressure, which is the cause of around half of all strokes.
What are the symptoms of stroke?
The FAST method – which stands for Face, Arms, Speech, Time – is the easiest way to remember the most common symptoms of stroke:
F = Face drooping – if one side of a person’s face is dropped or numb then ask them to smile, if it’s uneven then you should seek help.
A = Arm weakness – if one arm is weak or numb then you should ask the person to raise both arms. If one arm drifts downwards then you might need to get help
S = Speech difficulty – if a person’s speech is slurred then this could be a sign of a stroke
T = Time to call 999 – if a person has the signs above then you need to call 999 in the UK or 911 in the US for emergency care.
Other symptoms include:
- sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body
- difficulty finding words
- sudden blurred vision or loss of sight
- sudden confusion, dizziness or unsteadiness
- a sudden and severe headache
- difficulty understanding what others are saying
- difficulty swallowing
“There’s also some evidence which suggests that people with high-pressure and stressful jobs may be at an increased risk, too. Medical conditions, such as diabetes, can also increase the risk.”
Alex was told her stroke might have been caused by her contraceptive pill, which is linked to a small increased risk.
Today, she runs the Merry Mead Tea Room, in Brentwood, with her mum, Karen Lane, and hosts a monthly coffee morning for stroke survivors.
Her side effects mean she sometimes has to explain to people that she has had a stroke.
“After a stroke, you are never back to normal,” she says. “My words sometimes struggle to get out. I struggle with sudden changes – it causes me anxiety, but I did not struggle in the past.
After a stroke, you are never back to normal
Alex
“I also struggle with stuttering and memory loss. I have to learn to live with the differences rather than think I can go back to what I was.”
The sooner a stroke patient receives treatment, the better their outcomes will be.
For Angharad Dennis, a mum-of-one, a delay in diagnosis also saw her facing a new way of life. She suffered a stroke in March last year – two days before turning 32 – which was found to be caused by a hole in her heart.
Angharad, of Loughor, Swansea, woke in the middle of the night to find the room spinning.
‘Short-term memory loss‘
She couldn’t lift her head off the pillow and when she tried to call out to her husband Joe, 40, an engineer, who was sleeping next to her, her speech was slurred – a key sign.
When he woke up, he saw the right side of her face had dropped – another warning sign.
Joe drove Angharad to the hospital himself, where she spent a total of 57 hours in A&E before her diagnosis was confirmed. Angharad needed six weeks of physiotherapy, but the after-effects remain.
“I struggle to control my emotions, and my mobility is restricted mainly due to fatigue,” she tells Sun Health.
“I have slight short-term memory loss and my speech and comprehension of words can be affected when fatigue is at its worst.
“I also have black floaters in my eyes and experience weird sensations on my right side. I am gaining weight, and I am very anxious about the future.
“Stroke does not discriminate, and I never thought I would have one so young, but they can happen at any age.”
Stroke does not discriminate, and I never thought I would have one so young, but they can happen at any age
Angharad
Jess Tierney, who had a stroke in February last year – shortly before her 30th birthday – says, “there were times I thought it would have been easier if I hadn’t survived”.
“I realised I had to live my life differently,” she says. “You are in a grey area after a stroke.”
The mum-of-two and teaching recruiter, from Runcorn, had put pains in her neck down to a muscle strain. But when she collapsed at work and was rushed to hospital, a scan confirmed a clot in the area of her brain which controls movement.
She had a thrombectomy – a procedure to remove the blood clot in the brain.
Jess had to learn to walk again, going from a wheelchair to a walking stick and intense rehabilitation to get back on her feet.
Jess, who doesn’t drink or smoke, says: “Going home made it feel real. You want to get back to things you enjoy, or work, but you can’t straight away.
“I couldn’t drive or go out to the shops. I lost my independence for a while. Being stuck in the house meant my mental health took a massive blow.”
Now, she can walk again but still has some side effects, including tingling sensations on her right side and fatigue.
She adds: “I get overloaded by sensory information too. In noisy places, like restaurants, it can be overwhelming as I’ll hear everything at once – people around us talking, plates clanging. It makes me feel like screaming.”
But she is back working part-time at her old job, doing her best to enjoy time with her young family.
For Ciara Murray, 40, from Northern Ireland, a stroke meant missing out on her newborn baby’s first 10 days.
She was 36 weeks pregnant when she collapsed at home aged 30, in 2015. It would be seven hours before her husband, John, then 35, a builder and farmer, came home to find Ciara on the floor, barely conscious.
At the hospital, scans revealed her baby was fine but Ciara needed to be put into an induced coma so James could be delivered via C-section.
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Ciara woke up 10 days later, having had a blood clot removed from her brain.
‘Reduce the risk‘
She says: “I pointed to my stomach and said, ‘Where is my baby?’ I was told I’d had a baby boy. The nurse lifted him up and put him on my chest. It was the most amazing experience just to hold him and be able to smell him.”
Ciara had lost control of the left side of her body and spent five months in rehabilitation units.
When she was with James, she couldn’t hold him or play on the floor. She was finally able to go home when James was six months old.
A decade later, despite having independence and being able to drive, Ciara only has the use of one arm and has to use a splint on her leg every day because her ankle is too weak.
“The splint causes pain every day of my life,” she says. “I get Botox injections into my leg to help release the muscles in my foot.
“James is very protective of me. He says ‘My mummy only has one arm’.
“He helps me to take my splint off, and when I am in the shower, he gets my underwear out for me so John doesn’t have to do it. He has always been my wee man.”
Stroke Association’s Ms Bouverie says it is vital that everyone knows what can cause a stroke, “so they can proactively look to reduce the risk”.
“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.”
Eating healthily, not smoking, monitoring alcohol intake and regularly checking blood pressure are preventatives.
The Stroke Association provides lifelong support for all stroke survivors and their loved ones.
- Visit stroke.org.uk or call the Stroke Support Helpline on 0303 3033 100.
How to reduce your risk of heart attacks and stroke
You can reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke with many of the same methods.
Heart attacks and strokes, although affecting different organs of the body, are both what we call cardiovascular events.
Both arise from similar underlying conditions, such as atherosclerosis —a buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries.
According to the American Heart Association, the risk factors for heart attacks and strokes are largely the same: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity and diabetes.
Therefore, addressing these risk factors can simultaneously reduce the risk of both conditions.
Here are ways you can prevent the two:
Healthy diet
- More fruit and veg: The DASH, which emphasises fruit, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins, has been shown to reduce blood pressure and improve heart health.
- Less fats: Too much saturated and trans fats can raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of atherosclerosis. Go for healthier fats like those found in olive oil, nuts, and avocados.
- Limit salt: High salt intake is linked to high blood pressure, a major risk factor for both heart attack and stroke. The NHS recommends no more than 6g of salt per day for adults.
- Fibre: Foods high in soluble fibre, such as oats and beans, can help lower cholesterol levels.
Exercise
Walking, running, cycling, swimming – whatever you like, do it!
Aerobic exercise can strengthen the heart and improve circulation.
The NHS advises at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week.
Strength training exercises can help control weight, improve cholesterol levels, and reduce blood pressure. It is recommended twice a week by the NHS.
Manage blood pressure
Healthy diet and exercise can help keep your blood pressure in check.
But it is worth monitoring it yourself after the age of 40, at least, when the NHS invites adults for a check-up every five years.
High blood pressure often has no symptoms but significantly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Quit smoking
One of the best ways to quit smoking is to use resources provided by NHS Smokefree. Support groups, medications, and other tools to help quit smoking such as vapes could be what you need to kick the habit for good – and it’s free.
Limit booze
Excessive alcohol consumption can increase blood pressure and contribute to weight gain, which can snowball and become a heart health risk.
The NHS recommends not regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol per week.
