Stroke Booklet 1 | Page 26

STROKE is an Emergency! EVERY MINUTE COUNTS! ACT F.A.S.T. Face Arm Speech Time Facial droop Uneven smile Arm numbness Arm weakness Slurred speech Difficulty speaking or understanding Call 911 and get to the hospital immediately! Have the ambulance go to the nearest certified stroke center • Remember: If you have any of these symptoms, call 911 and your doctor as soon as possible. Notes _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ How a Stroke Occurs • Ischemic stroke occurs when an artery that supplies the brain is greatly narrowed or blocked. This can be caused by a buildup of plaque. It can also occur when small pieces of plaque or blood clot (called emboli) break off into the bloodstream. The emboli flow in the blood until they get stuck in a small blood vessel in the brain. • Healthy Arteries – in a healthy artery, the lining of the artery wall is smooth. This lets blood flow freely from the heart to the rest of the body. The brain gets all the blood it needs