October 29th is World Stroke Day- Did you know that stroke is 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. Most of us know someone who has had one, but did you know the warning signs and what to do should you suspect someone of having a stroke?
The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and the Ad Council are helping to raise awareness about Stroke knowledge, prevention, and what to do in an emergency. Here’s why this work matters.
- 1 in 6 people will have a stroke in their lifetime.
- 1 in 3 Americans cannot name at least one sign of stroke.
- When you recognize a stroke and immediately call 9-1-1, the person has a greater chance of getting to an appropriate hospital quickly and being assessed for treatment options like a clot-busting drug or clot-busting device.
We hope you’ll support the effort because together, we can end stroke.
It’s important to have the knowledge to spot a stroke F.A.S.T.
How to spot a stroke F.A.S.T. (the warning signs):
- 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. www.
StrokeAssociation.org/ warningsigns
Facts about Strokes:
- Someone in the world has a stroke every 2 seconds.
- In the U.S. stroke is the No. 5 cause of
death overall, killing nearly 130, 000 people a year. - Stroke is the No. 1
preventable cause of long-term disability. - About 800,000 people have a
stroke every year.
Download and share mobile app – There’s an app for that and at least one person is glad she had it! www.StrokeAssociation.org/
Want to learn more? Join the @American Stroke Twitter Chat! It will be hosted by @iHeartRadio on 10/29 at 12pm CT. The hashtag is #StrokeChat. Hear other people’s F.A.S.T. Songs, share your own, and join us for a great discussion about stroke! There will be giveaways, so stop by and tweet with us.
