May is American Stroke Month, and the American Stroke Association (ASA) wants to end stroke and help to spread the word that up to 80 percent of strokes could be preventable. (1)
What is Stroke
As the ASA states:
Stroke occurs when a blood vessel bringing blood and oxygen to the brain gets blocked by a clot or ruptures. When this happens, brain cells don’t get the blood and oxygen that they need to survive. This causes nerve cells to stop working and die within minutes. Then, the part of the body they control are affected.
The effects of stroke may be permanent depending on how many cells are lost, where they are in the brain, and other factors. Strokes can cause weakness (paralysis), affect language and vision, and cause other problems.
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in America.(2)
For American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) strokes are a substantial concern as AI/AN adults are “…twice as like to have a stoke as their white adult counterparts.” On top of this, AI/AN adults are also 30 percent more likely to have high blood pressure, which is a stroke risk factor. (3)
Preventing Stroke
To help prevent stroke, the ASA recommends a few different steps you can take:
- Prevent or control high blood pressure
- Eat healthy
- Stop smoking
- Be physically active
- Lose weight
- Control blood sugar
- Manage cholesterol (4)
If you already have had a stroke the ASA recommends taking these same steps to prevent a second stroke, as well as, talking to your doctor about aspirin or other medications. (5)
Recognizing Stroke
Beyond prevention the ASA also wants to make sure people are able to recognize the signs of stroke. As the ASA states, “When it comes to spotting stroke and getting help, the faster, the better.” This is why ASA has developed FAST, a 4-letter word that can help you to identify the signs of a stroke. F stands for face drooping, A is arm weakness, S is speech difficulty, and T is time to call 911. (6)
To learn more visit the ASA’s comprehensive American Stroke Month website at http://tiny.cc/strokemonth
Sources
- American Stroke Association. (n.d.). May is American Stroke Month. Retrieved May 25, 2018, from http://www.strokeassociation.org/STROKEORG/AboutStroke/AmericanStrokeMonth/American-Stroke-Month_UCM_459942_SubHomePage.jsp
- American Stroke Association. (2018). Stroke, TIA and Warning Signs. Retrieved May 25, 2018, from http://www.strokeassociation.org/idc/groups/stroke-public/@wcm/@hcm/@sta/documents/downloadable/ucm_309532.pdf
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Office of Minority Health. (2017, September 15). Office of Minority Health. Retrieved May 25, 2018, from https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=4&lvlid=43
- American Stroke Association. (n.d.). Don’t Take Your Brain Health for Granted. Retrieved May 25, 2018, from https://brainhealth.strokeassociation.org/
- American Stroke Association. (2018). 08 Ways to Help Prevent a Second Stroke. Retrieved May 25, 2018, from http://www.strokeassociation.org/idc/groups/stroke-public/@wcm/@hcm/@sta/documents/downloadable/ucm_500738.pdf
- American Stroke Association. (2018, May). Stroke is Preventable and Treatable. Pass It On. Retrieved May 25, 2018, from http://www.strokeassociation.org/idc/groups/stroke-public/@wcm/@hcm/@sta/documents/downloadable/ucm_500853.pdf
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