May: Stroke Awareness Month

 

When an artery or blood vessel carrying blood flow to the brain breaks, this is a stroke. Stroke severities depend on how much and where the brain is affected. Cells die once blood flow no longer reaches them, so functions of those cells no longer work. This can lead to paralysis of varying limbs, weakness, and can even affect the ability for speech. Depending on the severity, people can recover from a stroke, but most suffer from some degree of permanent damage, as brain cells do not regenerate.

What causes a stroke? Some risk factors leading up to a stroke are hereditary (genetic) susceptibilities, or other uncontrollable factors, such as age, gender, and prior existing heart conditions. Other risk factors that lead up to a stroke can be prevented or decreased. These include, but are not limited to, obesity, high blood pressure, cigarette/drug and alcohol abuse, high LDL cholesterol, and poor circulation.

Its important to know the signs of a stroke, not only for yourself, but possibly a loved one or friend. The sooner a person a can receive medical attention in the time of a stroke, the better the possible outcome and less damage to the brain. Remember: Act FAST!

Signs of a stroke are:

Numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body

Sudden confusion, trouble speaking and trouble understanding

Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes

Abrupt trouble walking, dizziness and loss of balance or coordination

Severe headache with no known cause

Check out the table below. If any of these apply, its time to act now! Strokes can happen at any age, to any gender, of all ethnicities. Make healthy food choices, know your numbers, get regular checkups, exercise, and get plenty of sleep to decrease your risk of a stroke.

Controllable Risk Factors	Uncontrollable Risks
Obesity	Age
High Blood Pressure	Gender
Atrial Fibrillation	Race
High Cholesterol	Family History
Diabetes	Previous Stroke or TIA
Atherosclerosis	Fibromuscular Dysplasia
Circulation Problems	Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO or Hole in the Heart)
Tobacco Use and Smoking
Alcohol Use
Physical Inactivity

For more information on strokes, risks, and research, check out the following links!

Resources used or recommended:
http://www.stroke.org/
http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442476091&terms=stroke%20awareness
http://www.eatright.org/Media/content.aspx?id=6442470423&terms=stroke%20awareness#.U2P0zRXD874
http://www.strokeinfo.org/
http://www.cdc.gov