Stroke and your health
Stroke. It occurs when blood supply to part of the brain is blocked, or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. And it’s the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States.
According to Stroke Center. nearly 800,000 people suffer a stroke per year — nearly three-quarters of which occur in people over the age of 65.
Stroke symptoms come on very suddenly. Here are some of the most common ones, according to the CDC:
Weakness or numbness on one side of the body, including the face, arm, or leg
Difficulty speaking or slurred speech
Confusion
Vision problems
Dizziness
Loss of balance
Coordination trouble
Severe headache
The faster you can intervene when someone is experiencing stroke symptoms, the better. Think “FAST” and remember the following…
FAST stands for:
FACE: Look for drooping one on side of the face
ARM: Does one drift downward?
SPEECH: Is speech slurred or distorted?
TIME: Call 911 right away if you notice these symptoms