Let's Talk About Stroke

Source: http://www.strokeassociation.org/

Every 6 seconds, someone in the world dies of a stroke. In the short time it takes to walk between classes, imagine how many lives are taken by this horrible condition. On Tuesday, October 29 World Stroke Day aimed to address the largely preventable nature of this disease and call the public to action in taking a stand for the health of their loved ones.

There are 2 major types of stroke. An ischemic stroke occurs when blood vessels in the brain have a clot, blocking off the blood supply to a particular area. Conversely, a hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, causing heavy bleeding in that region. Some common symptoms of stroke, which appear very suddenly, include: numbness or weakness of the limbs, severe headaches with no known cause, trouble seeing with both eyes, loss of balance, and confusion.

It’s easy to be shaken with the scary statistics surrounding stroke:

• 1 in 6 people will have a stroke in their lifetime.
• Every other second, stroke attacks a person, regardless of age or gender.
• 15 million people experience a stroke each year; 6 million of them don’t survive.
• About 30 million people have had a stroke- most have residual disabilities.

The 2012/2013 campaign slogan is entitled “Because I Care” and attempts to dispel common misconceptions about the disease while targeting the crucial role of family members and close friends in getting the message across to the people they care about. With so much knowledge available to us, the general public is in a strong position to disseminate the information in our families and communities if we take a bit of collective responsibility.

One major life saving tool to learn is the acronym “F.A.S.T.“, which stands for “face, arms, speech, and time” and is a simple method of remembering the sudden signs if you think someone may be having a stroke.

1. Ask the person to smile and check for drooping, numbness, or an uneven expression.
2. Ask them to raise both arms. Notice if one arm seems weak and numb, or if it drifts downward.
3. Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence and check for slurring, inaccuracy of repetition, or incoherency.
4.  If these symptoms are present at all, you must call 911 and immediately take the person to the hospital, regardless of whether the symptoms persist. Make sure to note the time that the symptoms first appeared.