By Jake BOWMAN

May is National Stroke Awareness Month and provides important facts in educating the public about the causes and ways to prevent a stroke. According to the National Stroke Association, fewer than half of 9-1-1 calls dealing with strokes are made within an hour of the event, and fewer than half of those callers correctly identify the symptoms of a stroke.

“Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in this country, yet it’s one of the leading causes of disability,” said Dr. Nerses Sanossian, director of the Stroke Program at USC-Verdugo Hills Hospital. “So if you have a stroke, you’re very unlikely to die from your stroke. You’re much more likely to be permanently disabled.”

It’s important to not only understand how to prevent a stroke, but to also know the signs and symptoms of someone having a stroke. According to the National Stroke Association website, signs of a stroke can include sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body, sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding, sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination and sudden severe headache with no known cause.

Knowing these signs, along with the F.A.S.T. acronym, can help a person save someone’s life. F.A.S.T. stands for 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 9-1-1 immediately.

Identifying the signs of a stroke is important, but how can a stroke be prevented?

According to Sanossian, “Not everyone is at the same risk for having a stroke. There are things called stroke risk factors and they determine an individual’s risk of stroke. Those stroke risk factors include conditions such as high blood pressure.” Sanossian goes on to say that, “high blood pressure is the top preventable stroke risk factor, meaning that if someone has high blood pressure, through diet, exercise, taking medication and advocating for a healthy diet and lifestyle, they can actually reduce their risk of stroke.”

In the U.S., over half of all strokes are attributed to high blood pressure. Other risk factors of diabetes, cholesterol, being overweight, smoking and not exercising are also major factors in causing strokes.

“You see a lot of the risk factors for stroke have to do with lifestyle and that’s why 70% of strokes can be prevented, because a lot of the things that cause strokes are things we can do something about. Unfortunately, many of us are at risk and don’t,” Sanossian said.

Stroke therapy is also becoming better every day. There are numerous ways to help treat stroke victims once the stroke has occurred, but stroke prevention is still the primary focus for doctors around the country. Going to the doctor and getting checkups regularly will help to identify problem areas like a person’s weight, blood pressure and cholesterol level. Combine these checkups with regular exercise, elevating the heart rate at least 40 minutes a day, five days a week, and the risk of stroke is drastically reduced. Living a healthy lifestyle and being knowledgeable about these issues can help to save lives.

  Jake BOWMAN