May is National Stroke Awareness Month

May marks National Stroke Awareness Month.

A common misconception is that strokes occur only in older adults. Although your stroke risk increases with age, a stroke can happen to anyone at any time.

During National Stroke Awareness Month, the National Stroke Association is urging the public to look at their stroke risk factors. Here’s how much stroke would be reduced if each were eliminated:
– Hypertension 47.9%
– Physical inactivity 35.8%
– Lipids (blood fats) 26.8%
– Poor diet 23.2%
– Obesity 18.6%
– Smoking 12.4%
– Heart causes 9.1%
– Alcohol intake 5.8%
– Stress 5.8%
– Diabetes 3.9%

Knowing the signs and symptoms of a stroke are equally important. Every 40 seconds someone in the US has a stroke.
“Learning how to recognize a stroke is just as important as reducing your risk factors,” says Robyn Moore, CEO of the National Stroke Association. “We know that recognition of stroke symptoms leads to receiving medical attention faster, which results in better outcomes.”

If you fear that you or someone around you is having a stroke, use the acronym FAST:

F – Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
A – Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S – Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Is their speech slurred?
T – Time: If you observe any of these signs, call 999.