Did you know strokes are the third-leading cause of death in Americans, and leave hundreds of thousands more disabled?
Almost five million Americans have had a stroke at some point in their lives, and an additional quarter of a million Americans will suffer strokes this year alone.
In many cases, a stroke occurs without warning. Yet, for a number of people there will be signs. Unfortunately, many people, especially women, ignore them. Before the big one hits, there are usually several episodes of mild neurological symptoms, such as sudden numbness of one side of the face or an arm. This may last only seconds and then pass.
Other people often spot the problem first. They may notice that one side of the person’s face seems to sag, or that they make little sense when speaking. Sometimes the person isn’t walking right. Ignoring these symptoms can lead to disaster.
Be aware of common thoughts some stroke victims have had prior to a stroke:
• “I must have been leaning on my arm.”
• “I must be hungry.”
• “I can’t think of the words I want.”
And get to know the symptoms I describe so you can take advantage of the window of opportunity to treat a stroke. To help people recognize the symptoms of stroke quickly, The Stroke Association has come up with the FAST (face, arms, speech, timing) test:
Face: Ask the person to smile. If the upper or lower face on one side is weak or does not move, it may indicate a stroke.
Arms: Ask your loved one to raise their arms out straight. Weakness in one arm is a sign of a stroke.
Speech: Have them say a simple sentence. Garbled speech, word searching or nonsense speech can indicate a stroke.
Timing: Call 911 if any one of these is present. While they do not always indicate a stroke, time is of the essence.
Taking an aspirin when symptoms first occur, for instance, can prevent most strokes, but it is important to use this time to get to your doctor for a proper workup. For more, please read my report
You can also cut your risk of a deadly stroke if you make sure your blood pressure is under control. ditions that can lead to stroke.
Source: Dr. Blaylock
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