May is Stoke Awareness Month

Stroke remains a leading cause of death and long-term disability in the US.

Nearly three-quarters of all strokes occur in people over the age of 65, and the risk more than doubles each decade after age 55.

Strokes aren’t limited to older adults. New data shows a noticeable rise in strokes among adults under 45, making prevention and awareness at every age critical.

Remember F.A.S.T. if you see any of the following symptoms:

Face: Does one side of the face droop?

Arms: Is one arm weak or numb?

Speech: Is speech slurred or difficult to understand?

Time: Call 911 immediately

Additional signs of stroke include:

Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Resources

DASH Diet

Comprehensive Stroke Center at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

https://www.wakehealth.edu/specialty/c/comprehensive-stroke-center

Eating a heart-healthy diet is important to help manage your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Read more: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-you-can-make-to-manage-high-blood-pressure/managing-blood-pressure-with-a-heart-healthy-diet

Understand stroke symptoms (American Heart Association) https://www.stroke.org/en/about-stroke/stroke-symptoms

Dr Amy Guzik is the Medical director of the comprehensive stroke center at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. Dr Guzik is also associate professor of neurology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.