May is National Stroke Awareness Month

I'd like to take a moment and pause for National Stroke Awareness Month. My brother-in-law recently suffered two strokes without realizing what was going on. Thankfully, he had the sense and ability to still drive himself to the hospital and is recovering amazingly. If we all know, we can act F.A.S.T. and be aware of those around us. Let's do this together!

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It’s the second full week of National Stroke Awareness Month. Have you been educating friends and family about how to Act F.A.S.T. to increase recognition of and response to stroke symptoms? Here’s an easy way! Use the F.A.S.T. method and the tips below to recognize and respond to stroke and to understand the importance of educating everyone about these important facts. Once you’ve educated yourself, forward this e-mail onto everyone in your contacts list to help spread awareness at a maximum level! F = FACE Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop? A = ARM Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? S = SPEECH Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Does the speech sound slurred or strange? T = TIME If you observe any of these signs, it’s time to call 9-1-1.

A few easy tips for why understanding stroke symptoms and the proper response are important:

• Stroke requires emergency treatment.
• You only have 3 hours from the onset of stroke symptoms to receive t-PA, a life-saving treatment.
• Fewer than 5% of stroke patients currently receive t-PA.
• In a National Stroke Association/Gallup poll, 17 percent of the respondents over age 50 couldn’t name a single stroke symptom.
• A recent study shows that only 55 percent of patients who have had a stroke were able to identify one stroke symptom.
• Only 38 percent of respondents participating in the CDC’s 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (the world’s largest, on-going telephone health survey system) were aware of stroke symptoms and would call 9-1-1 if they thought someone was having a stroke.

Visit http://www.stroke.org/site/R?i=YWLMpqF4vpXdylIxU49UlA.. for more helpful and downloadable educational materials.