High blood pressure can lead to serious health complications including stroke, heart attack, kidney disease, heart failure, etc, it is also known as a ‘silent killer’. Blood pressure fluctuates every second, and it doesn’t always tell you what’s wrong, so it is important to have your blood pressure checked regularly even if you feel well. You could be at risk of having high blood pressure and not even know it.

The Stroke Foundation recommends the F.A.S.T. test as an easy way to remember the most common signs of stroke.

– F (Face) – Check their face, has their mouth dropped?
– A (Arms) – Can they lift both arms?
– S (Speech) – is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?
– T (Time) – Time is critical, if you see any of these signs, call 000 straight away

Other signs of stroke may include one or combination of the following,

– Weakness or numbness or paralysis of the face, arm, or leg on either or both sides of the body
– Difficulty speaking or understanding
– Dizziness, loss of balance or an unexplained fall
– Loss of vision, sudden blurring or decreased vision in one or both eyes
– Headache, usually severe and abrupt onset or unexplained change in the pattern of headaches
– Difficulty swallowing