Say the word, “stroke.” Some will immediately fall back on their days at Camp Longhorn when they paddled their way across Inks Lake. Some will think about their cat’s favorite relationship with its human owner. But for way-far-too many, the word is like a lightning flash to the spine changing the world that they’ve known and throwing their family and friends into a universe of helplessness.
Nearly 800,000 Americans suffered strokes in 2016, including Dallas philanthropist T. Boone Pickens. Thanks to swift actions, Boone’s “mini-stroke” did minimal damage that thanks to rehabilitation has been all but eliminated.
While this medical condition has been scoffed off as a baby boomer problem, it has devastated way too many young people and their families. According to the National Stroke Association, there was “a spike of 44% in the number of young Americans hospitalized due to stroke in the past decade, and over 73% are not familiar with stroke symptoms and the need for urgent care.”
Munchkins are also victims of stroke due to “head trauma, sickle cell or unknown origins.”
Also known as a “brain attack, a stroke occurs when a clot blocks the supply of blood to the brain or a blood vessel in the brain bursts.”
That is why the American Heart Association has partnered with the American Stroke Association to spread the word that both heart disease and strokes are life-changers and killers that can be conquered.
Since May is Stroke Awareness Month, our good friends at Parkland Health And Hospital have provided the acronym “BE FASTT” for common stroke symptoms:
- Balance: Do they have a sudden loss of balance?
- Eyes: Do they have a sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes?
- Facial droop: When they smile, does one side of their face droop?
- Arm drift: When they raise both arms, does one arm drift downward?
- Slurred speech: When they repeat a sentence, are any of the words slurred?
- Terrible headache: Do they have a sudden, severe headache with other neurological deficits?
- Time is key: If a person shows any of the above symptoms, call 911.
If these signals arise, don’t hesitate because you need to put on your makeup or worry about “What will the neighbors say?” Call 911. The sooner a stroke victim can get medical treatment, the less devastation will take place.
According to Parkland Stroke Program Medical Director/assistant professor of Neurology And Neurotherapeutics at UT Southwestern Medical Center Dr. Alejandro Magadan, “In most cases of stroke, we only have 3 to 4 hours to safely deliver clot-busting drugs and 6 to 8 hours after symptoms begin to perform surgery to extract the clot.”
To reduce the chances of encountering this very swift and deadly disease, here are some suggestions:
- Avoid smoking and drinking to excess
- eat a balanced diet
- Exercise
- Support organizations like the American Stroke Association, the National Stroke Association, the Parkland Stroke Program and/or the healthcare organizations of your choice.