May is American Stroke Month, which helps increase stroke awareness and to educate Americans that stroke is largely preventable and treatable. Did you know what strokes is the #4 cause of death and leading cause of disability in the US.
We think that strokes happen to elderly people, which is true. The chance of having a stroke doubles for each decade of life after the age of 55, but many individuals are having strokes under that age of 65. One thing that we may not think of children having strokes – it does happen! Strokes affect about 6 in 100,000 children and it’s the leading cause of death in children in the U.S. – Now that is scary!
Adult strokes are different than children. Children have hemorrhagic strokes as often as they have ischemic strokes, while adults are more likely to have ischemic strokes only. A whopping 60% of strokes occur in boys and the cause of strokes are different in children than in adults.
Wondering what the risks are for children and adults, while here you go!
* Diseases of arteries
* Cardiac disorders
* Acute or chronic head and neck disorders
* Abnormal blood clotting
* Sickle-cell disease
The main risk factors that are increasing in the younger population are high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, cholesterol related disorders, tobacco use and alcohol abuse.
Not sure what to look for when a stroke happens? You need to look for F.A.S.T….
F- Face Drooping: Ask yourself, does one side of the face droop or is it numb, ask the person to smile
A – Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms and does one arm drift downward?
S – Speech Difficulty: Is speech slurred? Are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence like “The sky is blue.”
T – Time to call 911: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away call 911 and get them to the hospital immediately.
When you recognize a stroke and immediately call 9-1-1, the person has a greater chance of getting to an appropriate hospital quickly and being assessed for treatment options like a clot-busting drug and other medical devices. But many people do not know the warning signs of a stroke – information that may save a life. We hope you’ll join us and help educate your readers.
Here’s How You Can Help:
Share the F.A.S.T. acronym – or graphic in a blog post and/or social media:
Download the F.A.S.T. app – for your smartphone at www.StrokeAssociation.org/warningsigns.
Share on Social Media
Facebook: Do you know what stroke is the leading cause of death in American children? Learn how you can decrease this and learn the warning signs. http://bit.ly/1mvGdnv #AmericanStrokeMonth
Twitter: 60% of strokes occur in boys. Check out the signs you need to look for – http://bit.ly/1mvGdnv #AmericanStrokeMonth