A dad-of-five who dismissed pain in his ear as an infection was terrified to discover it was actually a deadly brain haemorrhage.
Adam Tradie had been experiencing it in his left lughole and a persistent headache for two weeks.
The 36-year-old had the ear micro-suctioned in the hopes it would cure what doctors assumed was an infection.
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But when the pain got worse the next day, Adam’s wife Katie, 30, encouraged him to go to A&E.
Adam FaceTimed Katie before going inside the hospital and she noticed the left side of his face had started to droop.
In a panic, she called the hospital as Adam couldn’t make it inside due to being sick and medics rushed outside to help.
Adam was taken for a CT scan where it was discovered that he had a life threatening bleed on the brain.
He says the news was “terrifying” as he lost his mum Caroline to a brain aneurysm when he was 19.
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“It was terrifying,” Adam, from Swansea, south Wales, told What’s the Jam.
“When they said it was a bleed on the brain, I was in shock.
“My mum passed away when she was just 42 due to a brain aneurysm so I was instantly thinking the worst.
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“The thought of my children having to go through what I went through when I was younger was horrendous. It scared me.
“I was so relieved when they said it wasn’t an aneurysm.”
Adam believes he owes his life to Katie as she pushed him to go to A&E.
He has been in hospital since and he had a 40 minute investigative surgery on Monday (27 Jan) so the doctors could decide what course of action to take next.
The building inspector said: “My main symptoms were pain in my ear and a headache that wasn’t going away.
“I had my ear micro suctioned to get rid of impacted earwax but it just got worse.
“I went back to the doctor the next day and they gave me some antibiotics to treat the infection.
“I was being a typical bloke and didn’t plan on going to the doctor, but Katie pushed me to go to A&E.
“If she didn’t and if I didn’t Facetime her before I went in, I don’t know where I’d be.
“One side of my face started drooping and I was really sick. I was in crippling pain. It buckled me to the floor.
“Katie called the hospital and around 20 doctors came rushing out.
“I went for a CT scan and they said I had a bleed on the brain.
“I didn’t expect that.
“They don’t know what caused it.
“If they didn’t find it, it could have been fatal or have caused brain damage.”
According to the NHS website, a subarachnoid haemorrhage is an uncommon type of stroke caused by bleeding on the surface of the brain. It’s a very serious condition and can be fatal.
The main symptoms of a subarachnoid haemorrhage include a sudden severe headache, a stiff neck, feeling and being sick, sensitivity to light, blurred or double vision, stroke-like symptoms such as slurred speech and weakness on one side of the body and loss of consciousness or convulsions.
Adam is on pain medication and blood pressure tablets while he waits to find out what kind of treatment he’ll need next.
He’s sharing his story to encourage anyone with symptoms similar to his to get them checked.
Adam said: “I want people who have any similar symptoms to have them checked out.
“Don’t let anyone fob you off.
“Keep pushing. If you’re under a certain age, there are tests that they don’t offer.
“It can happen to anyone.”
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