MISSION,
Kan., May 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- (Family
Features) Stroke can happen to anyone – it happens to more than
800,000 people every year in the United
States. Knowing the signs of stroke and how to prevent it
can help protect you or your loved ones from disabilities caused by
stroke.
That's why the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and
Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health, created
the "Know Stroke" campaign to disrupt stroke and help people
in your community who might be at risk of stroke through
prevention, treatment and research.
"Seconds are critical when someone is having a stroke," said Dr.
Clinton Wright, vascular neurologist
and director of the Division of Clinical Research at NINDS. "It's
important to know the signs."
Know Stroke
Most strokes happen when the brain stops
getting the blood supply it needs to work properly. Without enough
blood flow, the brain starts to lose function. Two million brain
cells die every minute during stroke, which is why stroke
prevention is important. Preventing stroke protects you from
developing disabilities that stroke may cause like speech problems,
limited movement and memory loss.
Know the Signs of Stroke
Stroke symptoms often appear
suddenly and can be easily missed. Treating stroke by getting to a
hospital quickly is critical to prevent brain damage. If you see
these signs, act F.A.S.T.:
- Face drooping: One side of the face droops when
smiling
- Arm weakness: If both arms are raised, one drifts
down
- Speech difficulty: Slurred or strange speech
- Time to call 911: Do not drive yourself or your loved
one – call an ambulance immediately if you notice one or more of
these signs
Learning these stroke symptoms can help disrupt stroke before it
disrupts your (or someone else's) life. Other signs to look for
include sudden numbness, confusion, difficulty seeing, difficulty
walking and severe headache, especially one that occurs in a split
second, called a thunder-clap headache. Remember stroke is
always an emergency that requires fast action and medical
treatment.
Know How to Prevent Stroke
Some medical conditions and
lifestyle considerations can put you at higher risk for stroke. For
example, high blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke. Stroke
can be prevented by effectively treating high blood pressure as
well as high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, smoking and
obesity. There are several ways to lower your risk for stroke:
- Treat high blood pressure
- Exercise regularly
- Eat healthy and maintain a healthy weight
- Manage diabetes
- Quit smoking
- Control cholesterol
Doing your best to prevent stroke from happening is the No. 1
way to lower your risk of disabilities caused by stroke. Even if
you have had a stroke before, you can still take steps to reduce
your risk of more strokes. Treating these risk factors may also
reduce the chance of developing age-related dementia. For more
information on the connection between stroke risk factors and
dementia, visit mindyourrisks.nih.gov.
Know How to Recover from Stroke
As much as prevention
helps lower the chances of having a stroke, it can still happen.
Rehabilitation therapy is usually started in the hospital within 48
hours after a stroke. Health care workers help stroke patients
relearn skills that were lost from the stroke or teach them new
ways to compensate for remaining disabilities. Researchers continue
to investigate how patients can restore blood flow to the brain and
how to protect brain cells after stroke to improve recovery.
Know More
When you know the signs of stroke, you can
help prevent a life-changing disability for yourself or someone you
care about. You could even save a life. Visit stroke.nih.gov to
learn more about stroke risks, prevention and research.
Michael French
mfrench@familyfeatures.com
1-888-824-3337
editors.familyfeatures.com
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SOURCE Family Features Editorial Syndicate