When Ian Parsley, who lives in Jordanstown, was told his blood pressure was so dangerously high he needed to seek immediate medical advice it came as a total shock. Ian was just 45 years old, had no major concerns about his health, and as a hockey umpire maintained a certain level of fitness. Ian’s high blood pressure was detected after he attended an event at which local health charity Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS) was offering blood pressure checks. Ian is sharing his story in support of the charity’s current blood pressure awareness campaign.
NICHS is concerned about the number of people living with undetected high blood pressure in Northern Ireland, and the fact 1 in 2 heart attacks and strokes are linked to the condition. Ian is speaking out about his experience as he wants to encourage others to get their blood pressure checked.
Ian says; “I had my blood pressure checked over the years. I was at a conference around the time of my 30th birthday, had a blood pressure check, and it was perfectly normal. I had it checked again around my 40th birthday by my GP and again there was nothing untoward. In September 2022 I was at an event about stroke hosted by Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke at Stormont. I was there because unfortunately my mother had a stroke in May 2022. The charity was offering blood pressure checks at the event- I had mine checked and was told to seek medical attention immediately.”
“My numbers were something like 191 over 118 – high blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higher. My reading was quite a shock given that I knew that only five years previously my blood pressure was normal.”
With COVID-19 restrictions still in place, Ian found getting in touch with his GP a challenge. “I had to seek private medical attention because my need was immediate, and I could not contact my doctor. I had to pay £700 for the various tests conducted by the private medical practice but they were unable to find anything specifically wrong that would have been causing my elevated blood pressure.”
“This felt a bit bizarre because I have never smoked, I am teetotal, and I have always been quite physically active. The doctors asked about my physical activity levels, explaining I should be doing at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. I typically umpire two hockey matches a week which equates to 140 minutes. I was also walking quite regularly so there was no doubt I was getting 150 minutes of activity a week.”
“The one lifestyle area I was probably weakest on would have been diet but even that was not too bad, for example, I almost never added salt to food. The doctor also asked about stress, but I couldn’t really say I was experiencing any major stresses.”
“The standard reaction most doctors have when trying to treat high blood pressure is to ask you to make certain lifestyle changes but that was not going to make a big difference to mine. Everything on the list of what you are supposed to do regarding keeping your blood pressure in check I was more or less doing so it was very mystifying. I have always strongly argued however that you should be under no illusions when it comes to your health and that you can be hit by something out of the blue, like my mum having a stroke not long before all this. I knew to take what the doctors were telling me seriously.”
Ian was prescribed medication in an attempt to bring his blood pressure numbers down. “I was put on medication, but the first prescription did not make a lot of difference. Once you are in your mid to late forties you begin to think about your health more and realise there is a very real possibility you could be affected by things like stroke and heart illness in the not-so-distant future. That did motivate me to make dietary changes to try and manage my blood pressure along with the medication. These changes combined with an alternative prescription did bring it down thankfully.”
“From February 2023 onwards I was able to get back in touch with my GP and be managed by them which meant I had no more expenditure. My medication became free which it hadn't been originally. My GP redid lots of test but again, found nothing specific to explain my high blood pressure. With a better diet and two types of medication a day, my last reading was 145/88mmHg which is much closer to where we want to be, but it has taken 18 months to get there.”
Ian continues; “As Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke’s current campaign highlights, undetected high blood pressure is often known as ‘The Silent Killer’ due to the fact it rarely causes any physical symptoms or warning signs and is often only discovered after someone suffers a stroke or heart attack. I had no idea whatsoever that my blood pressure was so dangerously high. That is the key message I want to get out there- people should be being assessed for blood pressure regularly because the risks associated with undetected high blood pressure are so great.”
“If high blood pressure is detected it can be treated. My numbers have shifted over 18 months so that I am no longer at any heightened risk but that took medication, a change of diet, and keeping up my activity levels. You can change things if you get that warning like I did and act on it- but if you do not get your blood pressure numbers checked, you cannot. There are no symptoms whatsoever and people could be oblivious to how at risk their health is.”
“There are a few things I would say to people. “Firstly, there can be a tendency, particularly amongst us men, not to want to know if there is an issue with our health- the idea of, ‘If I don't know, it's not really happening’. It is however much better to know so you can take action and hopefully prevent a potentially lifechanging health event, like a heart attack or stroke, happening. I am healthier now than I would have been had I never had that blood pressure check. It can be a frightening warning, but it can help you in the long run.”
“With regards to medication, the first medication I tried did have some minor side effects and I had to have it changed. If people are on blood pressure medication, they should keep an eye out for side effects and contact their GP immediately if they are experiencing any. I also find having a medication routine helps to make sure I take mine as prescribed as that is vitally important. If you are not taking your medication as you should, you are not managing the problem properly and are putting yourself at unnecessary risk. It is a really easy thing to do- it is a lot easier to take some pills with your morning orange juice than it is to be lying in a hospital bed after suffering a heart attack or stroke.”
“Also, with the way things are with NHS pressures, I believe we need to be much more proactive about our health. I feel we need to take more responsibility for our own health and wellbeing, for example, you can buy blood pressure monitors to check your numbers at home, or your local community pharmacist may offer this service.”
Ian concludes; “Friends have asked, ‘How do you feel now?’, but because I didn’t have any symptoms of high blood pressure, I don't actually feel any different. You do not feel high blood pressure, that is the point. I would encourage everyone to check their blood pressure, no matter what their age, lifestyle, whether they feel fine etc. If you do get a high reading, act on it, do not be afraid. You have time to act on it, but it is limited so make sure you do.”
Fidelma Carter, Head of Public Health at Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke, says; “We are very grateful to Ian for sharing his story as it shows just how dangerous undetected and untreated high blood pressure can be.”
“Over 280,000 people, or around 1 in 5 of the adult population in Northern Ireland, are living with high blood pressure¹ but there is a significant number of people, around 120,000, who have high blood pressure and do not realise it. Shockingly, this means at least a quarter of the adult population here live with high blood pressure. This gives us great cause for concern due to the fact one in two heart attacks and strokes are linked to the condition and it is something our current blood pressure awareness campaign aims to change.”
“As Ian highlighted, undetected high blood pressure is often known as ‘The Silent Killer’ due to the fact it rarely causes any symptoms and is often only discovered after it is too late. The only way to know what your blood pressure is, and if it is high, is to have it measured and that is what we are urging the public to do.”
Fidelma continues; “A blood pressure check is simple and only takes a few minutes, but it really could help save your life. There are a number of ways you can get your blood pressure checked. You can make an appointment with your GP or visit your local pharmacy which may operate a blood pressure monitoring service. You could also buy a blood pressure machine for home monitoring.”
For further information and support about blood pressure, visit www.nichs.org.uk/highbloodpressure
