Strokes are the fifth leading cause of death and the leading preventable case of disability in the US. Each year, about 800,000 Americans suffer a new or recurrent stroke. Furthermore, someone in the world has a stroke every 2 seconds. And while 1 in 6 people will have a stroke in their lifetime, 1 in 3 Americans cannot name at least one sign of stroke.
That is why it is SO IMPORTANT that we educated ourselves on the signs and symptoms of strokes, and how to act when we see a stroke happening.
For World Stroke Day, learn about the FAST warning signs of a stroke:
- F – Face Drooping. Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.
- A – Arm Weakness. Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
- S – Speech Difficulty. Is speech slurred? Are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence like: “The sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?
- T- Time to call 9-1-1. If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately.
You can also download the FREE F.A.S.T stroke app.
To learn more, join today’s World Stroke Day #StrokeChat. It will be hosted by @iHeartRadio today, 10/29, at 12pm CT. The hashtag is #StrokeChat.
Spread the word. Educate yourself. And ACT.
About Melissa