Signs of stroke

According to a press release issued by Adventist Health and Rideout Hospital, stroke is 80 percent preventable. High blood pressure, diabetes, cigarette smoking, high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation and sedentary lifestyle are treatable and modifiable risk factors.

According to the American Heart Association/american Stroke Association, stroke is the number five cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. On average someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, someone dies of a stroke every four minutes and nearly 800,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

The American Heart Association/american Stroke Association and the Rideout Stroke Program team offers the following Act FAST formula for recognizing the warning signs of a stroke:

F: Face Drooping. Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven or lopsided?

A: Arm Weakness. Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downwards?

S: Speech Difficulty. Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “The sky is blue.” If the person able to correctly repeat the words?

T: Time to Call 9-1-1. If someone shows any of these symptoms go away, call 911 and say, “I think this is a stroke” to help get the person to the hospital immediately. Time is important! Don’t delay, and also note the time when the first symptoms appeared. Emergency responders will want to know.

If someone shows any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately.