He said, “Stroke is Northern Ireland’s leading cause of disability and the third highest cause of death here. Across the UK over 750,000 people live with AF and in Northern Ireland, AF accounted for 21% of hospital stroke admissions in 2009/10. ”
The Stroke Association NI Director, Tom Richardson, stated, “If you have an irregular heartbeat, your heart may not have a chance to relax and empty itself of blood properly before filling up again.
[caption id="attachment_25250" align="alignright" width="400" caption="MLA John McCallister gets a health check from the Stroke Association NI at Stormont."]
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“As a result, the blood does not move quickly and smoothly and can form clots. If these clots then travel in the blood stream towards the brain, they could block the blood flow to your brain and cause a stroke or TIA.”
Mr Richardson adds, “Recognizing and treating AF is hugely important as strokes caused by it are preventable. ” A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. This could be due to a blockage in an artery (‘ischaemic stroke’) or by bleeding in the brain (‘haemorrhagic stroke’).
A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or ‘mini stroke’ is similar to a stroke, but the symptoms are temporary.
The following could be a sign that you have AF:
* Palpitations (being aware of your heart beating fast)
* Breathlessness
* Chest pain
* Fatigue
* No symptoms but an irregular pulse over one minute.]]>
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