NURSES at Hereford County Hospital were on hand to teach people how to spot early warning signs of stroke.

More than 1,000 people in the county are treated by the hospital’s stroke team every year, and up to 22 per cent of strokes are caused by Atrial fibrillation (AF), one of the most common forms of abnormal heart rhythm.

Nurses taught almost 200 people how to check their own pulse - which helps detect AF - on World Stroke Day on October 29.

Fiona Price, stroke research practitioner, at Wye Valley NHS Trust, said: “It’s quite easy once you know how to check if you have an irregular pulse. It’s usually nothing to worry about and your GP will be able to carry out tests for AF, which if detected can be treated effectively to reduce the risk of stroke.”

Gordon Williams, a decorator at the hospital who attended the event, said he’ll be ‘keeping a regular check’ on his pulse after learning how to.

Symptoms of AF can include palpitations, tiredness, shortness of breath, dizziness or feeling faint. However, some people only have mild symptoms, while other people have no symptoms at all.

For more information visit www.stroke.org.uk.