By Rick Ansorge

May is National Stroke Awareness Month, a month dedicated to raise awareness about the nation’s fourth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability.

Sponsored by the National Stroke Association, this annual event is intended to engage individuals, community organizations, and businesses in the effort to educate the public about how to stop stroke through risk factor management, act “F.A.S.T.” to increase recognition of and response to stroke symptoms, and spread hope about recovery from stroke.

You can get involved by hosting a fundraising event such as a trivia night, a local walk or run, a golf tournament or silent auction. For more information, contact your doctor, your local hospital’s stroke team and stroke support group, or the National Stroke Association at www.stroke.org

Stroke Can Affect Anyone

No matter your age, race or gender, anyone can have a stroke. Your odds of having a stroke increase if you have certain risk factors.

Risk factors you can’t control include:

• Age 55 and older.
• Male gender
• Race/ethnicity. African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians/Pacific Islanders have an increased risk.
• Personal or family history of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).
• Fibromuscular dysplasia
• Patent foramen ovale (PFO or a hole in the heart).

 It’s estimated that up to 80 percent of strokes could be prevented if people appropriately managed their risk factors with lifestyle modifications and/or medications.  Risk factors you can control include:

• High blood pressure.
• Atrial fibrillation.
• High cholesterol.
• Diabetes.
• Atherosclerosis.
• Circulation problems.
• Smoking.
• Alcohol use.
• Physical inactivity.
• Obesity.

Time is Brain

One of the most important goals of National Stroke Awareness Month is increasing public recognition of stroke symptoms and the importance of getting immediate emergency medical assistance.  When stroke patients receive FDA-approved clot-busting medications within three hours of their first symptoms, they have a significantly reduced risk of experiencing permanent brain damage and long-term disability from the most common type of stroke.

In recent years, the National Stroke Association has emphasized the importance of responding to stroke using the “F.A.S.T.” method:

• F = FACE - Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
• A = ARM - Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
• S = SPEECH - Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Does the speech sound slurred or strange?
• T = TIME - If you observe any of these signs, it’s time to call 9-1-1.

Also call 911 immediately if notice any of these sudden symptoms:

• Numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
• Confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
• Severe headache with no known cause.

Remember, screenings, such as those offered by Life Line Screening, can help identify the early, silent conditions that can lead to stroke. The leading causes of stroke are high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation and buildup of plaque in the carotid arteries.  Finding these conditions before they cause a stroke can help you work with your doctor to put preventive strategies into place.

Tell Us What You Think Of This Story. Share your comments below.

Learn more about stroke

SCHEDULE A SCREENING