Stroke Awareness

May is National Stroke Awareness Month.

-Stroke can happen to anyone at any age.

-80% of all strokes are preventable.

-Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the -U.S. and a leading cause of severe disability.

-On average, one person dies from stroke every 4 minutes.

-More than 795,000 people have a stroke each year in the U.S.

-Stroke kills almost 130,000 of the 800,000

-Americans who die of cardiovascular disease each year—that’s 1 out of every 19 deaths from all causes.

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Prevent stroke by following the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Life’s Simple 7 tips:

•Manage blood pressure

•Control cholesterol

•Reduce blood sugar

•Get active

•Eat eetter

•Lose weight

•Stop smoking

According to the National Stroke Association, a person experiencing a stroke can be treated if people have acted FAST - 80% of strokes can also be prevented. FAST being an acronym for things to check in a suspected stroke victim:

F - Face / Does the face droop on one side when the person smiles?

A - Arm / After raising both arms, does one of the arms drift downwards?

S - Speech /After repeating a simple phrase, does the persons speech sound slurred or strange?

T - Time / If any or all of the above are observed call for 9-1-1 and ask for medical assistance.