HIMPower Magazine HimPower November 2017 | Page 25

IF STROKE HAPPENS, ACT F.A.S.T.
Knowing your risk factors is only half
the battle. Strokes come on suddenly and
should be treated as medical emergencies.
If you think you or someone else may be
having a stroke, act F.A.S.T.:
Blood Pressure: Control your blood pres-
sure.
Cholesterol: Manage your cholesterol.
Smoking: Quit smoking or don’t start.
•
Make lifestyle changes:
Eat healthy and stay active. Choose
healthy foods most of the time,
including foods with less salt, or
sodium, to lower your blood pressure,
and get regular exercise. Being over-
weight or obese raises your risk of
stroke.
Talk to your doctor about your chances
of having a stroke, including your age
and whether anyone in your family has
had a stroke.
Get other health conditions under
control, such as diabetes or heart
disease.
F—Face: Ask the person to smile. Does
one side of the face droop?
A—Arms: Ask the person to raise both
arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S—Speech: Ask the person to repeat
a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred or
strange?
•
T—Time: If you see any of these signs,
call 9-1-1 right away. Calling an ambulance
is critical because emergency medical tech-
nicians, or EMTs, can take you to a hospital •
that can treat stroke patients, and in some
cases they can begin life-saving treatment on
the way to the emergency room. Some treat-
ments for stroke work only if given within
For more information, go to www.cdc.gov
the first 3 hours after symptoms start.
HOW CAN I PREVENT STROKE?
Most strokes can be prevented by
keeping medical conditions under control
and making lifestyle changes. A good place
to start is to know your ABCS of heart
health:
Aspirin: Aspirin may help reduce your
risk for stroke. But you should check with
your doctor before taking aspirin because it
can make some types of stroke worse. Before
taking aspirin, talk with your doctor about
whether aspirin is right for you.
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