Preventing a stroke only takes a few simple steps
Every minute a person’s brain is without oxygen from a stroke, two million brain cells die. This can often lead to brain damage, disability or death.
With May as National Stroke Awareness Month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies stroke as the fifth leading cause of death in Wisconsin, with more than 2,500 deaths annually.
Community members are urged to know the most common signs of stroke, which include the following:
• Sudden dizziness or loss of balance
• Sudden numbness of the face, arm or leg
• Sudden trouble seeing
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause Getting help quickly is important. Remember the phrase/ acronym BE FAST: B – Balance: Ask the person to attempt to stand. Is he or she dizzy?
E – Eye changes: Ask the person to look at you. Does he or she report blurred vision?
F – Face drooping: Ask the person to smile. Does one side droop?
A – Arm weakness: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S – Slurred speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Are the words slurred?
T – Time to call 9-1-1: If the person shows any of these signs, call 911 immediately.
In the United States, the CDC says 800,000 people have a stroke every year, however, 80 percent of strokes are preventable by making lifestyle changes to reduce the risk. These include not smoking; staying physically active; controling cholesterol; controling blood pressure; maintaining a healthy body weight; reducing blood sugar.
Preventative actions are important, because they are within your control. Other things like age, family history, race and gender are not.
The most common type of stroke is an ischemic stroke, which occurs when blood flow through an artery that supplies oxygen-rich blood to the brain becomes blocked. Eighty-seven percent of strokes in the United States, are ischemic.
A hemorrhagic stroke happens when an artery in the brain leaks blood or ruptures, putting too much pressure on brain cells which damages them.
