APRIL 2014 HEALTH TIP

 

"STROKE"

 

A stroke can be a scary thing to experience, especially when you do not understand

what is happening to your body. According to the National Stroke Association (www.stroke.org)

"approximately 55,000 more women than men" will experience a stroke each year. There are

several risk factors that increase the chances of stroke in certain individuals. It is important to

identify those factors and work towards managing them effectively to diminish the occurrence

of a stroke. Main risk factors of stroke include disorders such as high blood pressure, high

cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, smoking and coronary artery disease, which are only a few of the factors that you can manage to minimize your risk. Be sure to keep your blood pressure and blood sugars under control and follow up with your primary care physician to ensure your efforts are sufficient in maintaining your health. Additionally, it is important to make diet adjustments to reduce the amount of saturated fat you consume; this can assist with lowering your cholesterol levels.

 

The scariest part about it all is that most are unaware of the common signs associated with a stroke. It is important to familiarize yourself with the signs and symptoms of a stroke because it may save your life and prevent long-term damage regarding the functionality of your body. Common symptoms of a stroke include a sudden onset of a severe headache, numbness/weakness of the face or specifically on one side of your body, trouble speaking or understanding information, vision impairment, and difficulty walking or keeping your balance.

 

The National Stroke Association developed an easy way to remember the signs of a stroke,

which is to think of the acronym FAST:

FACE (Are you able to smile with both sides symmetric?)

ARMS (Can you raise both arms and hold them there?)

SPEECH (Do you have difficulty speaking?)

TIME (Observe the time of your first symptom and call 911, immediately!)

 

A couple of links I encourage you to utilize. The first link is "Stroke Risk Scorecard" where you can evaluate your risk of stroke. The second link is printable wallet card you can keep with you to help you remember the important signs of a stroke.

 

http://www.stroke.org/site/DocServer/scorecard_risk.pdf?docID=601

http://www.stroke.org/site/DocServer/FAST_walletCard_2011.pdf?docID=8342

 

Christin Benbow, BSN, RN

The information in this post was obtained from the National Stroke Association website (www.stroke.org)