A woman unexpectedly discovered her husband’s life-threatening condition after receiving free medical training in Willerby. Adele Stimpson, who coordinates the Hub at Hull 4 Heroes, undertook a two-hour course on blood pressure checks aimed at assisting Armed Forces veterans. Following the training, she received a blood pressure monitor from the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board’s Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Programme.
She decided to test the device on her partner, Matthew Cowley, as practice, with no inkling of any health issues. Matthew, a professional roofer, considered himself fit and well. However, a dangerous health issue, often referred to as the “silent killer” due to its lack of symptoms, was about to come to light. Adele recounted: “I tried to take Matthew’s blood pressure several times and the machine just kept giving me an error message and no reading.”, reports Hull Live.
“The next day I tried again, and the same thing happened. Then I did mine and it was fine and took a reading perfectly. As a precaution I told him it was best for him to go to the pharmacy and get it done by them. He did, and the same thing happened. They didn’t have anyone available to do a manual check and so told him he must go straight to the Emergency Department as this error message meant it was too high for the machine to read. We went to the ED and to cut a long story short his BP at triage was 231/154.”
A standard blood pressure reading hovers around 120/80, but a figure of 231/154 is categorised as a severe hypertensive crisis, posing an extremely high risk of heart attack and stroke. Matthew found himself rushed to the cardiology ward of Hull Royal Infirmary where doctors quickly administered medication to bring his sky-high blood pressure down.
Once medics were reassured that he was out of immediate danger, Matthew was sent on his way with medication and instructions to consult his GP for further examination. “I have to say a massive thank you to everyone involved in the training,” Adele expressed her gratitude. “Without it, the outcome could have been so different.”
It’s believed that roughly 150,000 folks in Humber and North Yorkshire may be walking around with unrecognised high blood pressure, which silently ramps up the likelihood of dire health issues like heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and other grave conditions.
Dr James Crick, Associate Medical Director for Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), warned: “Around one in four adults in the UK have high blood pressure, although many will not even realise it. That’s why getting your blood pressure checked and ‘knowing your numbers’ is so important.
“Whether you’re popping into your local surgery, swinging by the chemist, or checking at home with a personal device – taking that first step to get your blood pressure measured is crucial for spotting potential risks to your health. If hypertension is identified, your GP practice will then work with you to make lifestyle changes and to manage your levels.”
For those aged 40 and above who haven’t had a recent blood pressure check, the NHS pharmacy finder can be used to locate a pharmacy providing complimentary blood pressure checks. Further details on managing blood pressure can be found on the Let’s Get Better website.