Did you know that someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds? That’s someone every 40 seconds.
As you may know, May is American Stroke Month, so we’re working with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and the Ad Council to raise awareness about Stroke knowledge, prevention, and what to do in an emergency. Here’s why this work matters.
- Stroke is the No. 1 preventable cause of disability – 80 percent of strokes are preventable!
- Only 9% of us can identify all the letters in the F.A.S.T. acronym for 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-removing device.
Here’s How You Can Help:
Join the #StrokeChat hosted by @American_Stroke on 5/18 at 12pm CDT. Stroke experts will join from local AHA/ASA handles coast to coast and we’ll have an engaging conversation about superpowers, the face of stroke, what’s in the news, and give away some swag from NBA All Star Paul George and ALEX AND ANI who just debuted a new bangle honoring stroke survivors Questions are available in advance upon request.
Take the #StrokeHero Quiz: You don’t need superpowers to be a Stroke Hero. You can be a Stroke Hero by knowing F.A.S.T, the warning signs of stroke, so you’re ready to take action. Share the resources (StrokeAssociation.org/
Help Prevent Strokes: 80% of Strokes are preventable. Controlling your blood pressure is a great place to start.
Facts about Strokes:
- Someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 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.
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.
