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Dad who blamed ‘splitting headaches’ on Lush bath bombs left ‘feeling drunk’ as silent killer struck on shopping trip
The four symptoms to look out for to help you identify if someone's having a stroke
A DAD blamed the "intense" smell in Lush for giving him a splitting headache - but it turned out he was having a stroke.
Gary Smith says he was buying a gift for his wife last month when he felt overwhelmed by the scent and busyness of the body care giant's store in Stone, Kent.
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The 52-year-old "assumed it was the bath bombs" and tried to ignore his headache, which later turned out to be triggered by a genetic heart defect.
When his left eye's vision became blurry while out shopping with daughter to get pain relief.
He grew confused when he couldn't grab a box of tablets in Boots "like his arm was frozen" and recalls he felt "drunk" as his vision became "fuzzy".
Rebekah, 30, drove her scared dad to the hospital, where tests revealed he'd had a major stroke.
Read more on strokes
Gary claims a specialist told him last month that the incident had killed an eighth of his brain and that he was surprised he could still walk.
He's off work and suffers from fatigue, but counts himself lucky and is keen to encourage people to "listen to the warning signs of a stroke" so they can get help as soon as possible.
The dad's TikTok video about his experience includes the caption "eye started to ache, assumed it was the bath bombs" and has been viewed more than 200,000 times.
It was like I had a smudge on my windscreen and couldn't see through it
Gary Smith
Social media users joked that the smell in Lush is so strong it can "give anyone a stroke".
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Gary, from St Albans, Hertfordshire, said: "When I was in Lush I had a headache and I found it overpowering.
"I was getting intense senses and you don't want that because it's going to make it worse.
"I don't like going into Lush because I find the smell overpowering in there and I do find it strange that women love it.
NHS video animation explains how a stroke happens and how to reduce the risks
"When we left to go to Boots I noticed I'd started to lose vision in my left eye.
"It was like I had a smudge on my windscreen and couldn't see through it.
"In hindsight, this was the point I should have said I have a massive problem here, but I didn't and we carried on to Boots and things started to go massively downhill.
"When I went to pick up the box my arm went towards it but I couldn't pick it up.
"It was like my arm was frozen. I wasn't in pain but it wouldn't work. I was confused.
"I put the bath bomb down and picked the box up with my other hand to tuck it under my arm but once again it wouldn't work."
If you get a couple of symptoms then listen to your body and tell someone
Gary Smith
He added: "At this point, I lost spatial awareness and my daughter asked me 'what's up?' By that time I was worried.
"It was as if I was drunk. Everything is not doing what you want it to do. You can see stuff but everything's a bit fuzzy.
"When I saw a specialist weeks later he told me I'd had a big stroke and that people who have this usually have permanent paralysis and that was a huge shock.
"I used to race motorbikes and you always have an attitude that it'll never be me and I still had that with a stroke.
What are the 4 symptoms of stroke you must know?
You can use the FAST method – which stands for Face, Arms, Speech, Time – to identify is someone is having a stroke:
F = Face drooping - if one side of a person's face is dropped or numb then ask them to smile, if it's uneven, you should seek medical help.
A = Arm weakness - if one arm is weak or numb then you should ask the person to raise both arms. If one arm drifts downwards, it could signify stroke
S = Speech difficulty - if a person's speech is slurred this could be a sign of a stroke
T = Time to call 999 - if a person has the signs above then you need to call 999
Other stroke symptoms include:
- sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body
- difficulty finding words
- sudden blurred vision or loss of sight
- sudden confusion, dizziness or unsteadiness
- a sudden and severe headache
- difficulty understanding what others are saying
- difficulty swallowing
Ischaemic stroke, the most common form of the condition, occurs when a blood clot prevents the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain.
This is typically caused by arteries becoming narrower over time
"When you're having a stroke you can't stop it and you've got to see what happens but I knew I wasn't right and kept pushing on like an idiot.
"If you get a couple of symptoms then listen to your body and tell someone."
Gary says Boots staff called an ambulance once his daughter told them he wasn't feeling right but she decided it would be quicker for her to drive to the hospital.
Within 30 minutes Gary said he'd had a brain scan and the headache had turned into a pain in his left eye and at the back of his neck.
He says he struggled with hand-eye coordination while at the hospital, including difficulty completing a form and using the key for a locker.
The missus can have a plain bath from now on
Gary Smith
They sent him home the next day with medication and referred him to a stroke specialist, who told him he was lucky and that one-eighth of his brain had died.
Gary says that because he's healthy his brain is "rewiring itself to compensate for the area that has died".
Medics suspect the stroke was caused by a blood clot as a result of a genetic heart defect.
The engineer insists he doesn't smoke or drink heavily and was told he doesn't have high cholesterol or high blood pressure.
Gary returned to Lush and Boots to pose for snaps so he can include them in his TikTok and it's earned more than 170 comments.
One person wrote: "Someone should tell them those bath bombs are too strong."
Gary joked: "Killed off one-eighth of my brain Soph. The missus can have a plain bath from now on!"
Another said: "You've been lucky. Speedy recovery thanks for sharing."
Gary agreed and said: "Incredibly lucky. I count every day. Thank you."
Gill Eldridge, who is the assistant store manager at the Boots store, said: "When the customer described his symptoms, I immediately thought it sounded like a stroke and so, called 999 straight away.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
"It is great that he is now raising awareness of his experience to help others understand the signs and symptoms."
Lush told The Sun they wish Gary well in his recovery.
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