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February 2015 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
Knowing How to Spot When
Someone is Having a Stroke
By Fiona Young-Brown
You may have seen the recent
television ads educating the public
about spotting the signs of a stroke.
The NIH National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke
notes that a stroke is the fourth
leading cause of death in the United
States, and a leading cause of longterm disability. Knowing the signs
so that you can receive early medical intervention can be key to a full
recovery.
A stroke is caused by a disruption of blood to the brain. The most
common type of stroke, affecting
some 80 percent of stroke sufferers,
is ischemic, caused by a clot that
blocks blood flow into the brain.
The remaining 20 percent of strokes
are hemorrhagic, caused by a broken
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blood vessel that bleeds into the
brain.
Although strokes primarily affect
those over the age of 65, there are no
age limits. In rare instances, someone in their teens or early twenties
can suffer one. Sadly, these are often
cases that result in long-term damages since few people believe they
could be having a stroke at such a
young age.
As with many health issues, taking
steps toward prevention is key. Some
risk factors that increase your chance
of having a stroke include: high
blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, heart disease, and diabetes.
Each of these also carries a host of
other risks, so if you smoke, it’s time
to quit, and if you have any of the
other conditions, talk to your doctor
for help in managing them.
Since it is an illness in the brain,
stroke can affect speech, muscle
function, and movement. Often you
don’t even realize you are experiencing a stroke because your brain is
unaware. This makes it all the more
important for those around you to
know the signs.
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The American Heart Association
and American Stroke Association
urge the public to remember a
simple acronym that can indicate the
signs of stroke: FAST.
Face Drooping. If a person’s face
suddenly seems oddly droopy on
one side, ask them to smile. If that
too is droopy on one side, it is often
the first sign of a stroke.
Arm Weakness. Just as one side
of the face may droop or feel numb,
so the patient may feel numbness on
one side of their body, often most
noticeable in an arm or hand. Ask
them to raise both arms and notice
if one falls.
Speech Difficulty. Speech may be
affected in a number of ways. The
patient may slur their words, or perhaps suddenly begin stumbling over
their words, or be unable to string
together a simple sentence. Ask
them to repeat something.
Time to Call 911. If you or another person has any of these symptoms, call 911 and seek immediate
medical help. Even if the symptoms
go away as quickly as they appeared,
it can be a predictor of a larger
future stroke. When you call 911,
make a note of when the symptoms
appeared; a timeline can be essential
in helping medical staff.
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