Stroke is currently the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, with a stroke occurring every 40 seconds, yet 80 percent of strokes are preventable.
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot, or bursts or ruptures. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so it and brain cells die.
“During American Stroke Month, HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital along with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association encourages the public to learn their risk of stroke and learn to ACT F.A.S.T. when stroke symptoms present,” notes Jami Davis, RN, BSN, Director of Cardiovascular Services, Emergency Services, and ICU at St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital.
The acronym F.A.S.T. teaches people to recognize a stroke and what to do if one occurs:
· F – Face Drooping: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop or is it numb?
• A – Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. 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.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?
• T – Time to call 9-1-1: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately.
Additional stroke signs include: Sudden severe headache with no known cause; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; or sudden confusion or trouble understanding.
“In the event of a stroke, ‘time is brain’, so patients should ALWAYS call 9-1-1 and receive possible life-saving treatment as soon as possible,” encourages Davis.
St. Anthony’s partners with HSHS St. John’s Hospital Stroke Telemedicine, which connects stroke patients at St. Anthony’s to world class neurologists using an audio and video connection through a telemedicine robot. When potential stroke patients arrive at St. Anthony’s, they receive appropriate treatments immediately to ensure the best outcomes possible.
It is also important to understand that stroke can occur at any age. While stroke is often thought of as an older person’s health issue, research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), confirms that the rate of strokes among children and young adults is sharply rising. In fact, the stroke hospitalization rate increased from 1995 to 2008 from 30 percent to 37 percent among those aged 15-44, according to the study.
According to the American Stroke Association, risk factors for developing a stroke include the following:
- Age — The chance of having a stroke approximately doubles for each decade of life after age 55. While stroke is common among the elderly, many people under 65 also have strokes.
- Heredity (Family History) — Your stroke risk may be greater if a parent, grandparent, sister or brother has had a stroke.
- Race — African-Americans have a much higher risk of death from a stroke than Caucasians do. This is partly because African-Americans commonly have higher risks of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.
- Gender — Each year, women have more strokes than men, and stroke kills more women than men. History of preeclampsia/eclampsia or gestational diabetes, smoking, and post-menopausal hormone therapy may pose special stroke risks for women. Be sure to discuss your specific risks with your doctor.
- Prior Stroke, TIA or Heart Attack — The risk of stroke for someone who has already had one is many times more than that of a person who has not. Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) are “warning strokes” that produce stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage. TIAs are strong predictors of stroke. A person who has had one or more TIAs is almost 10 times more likely to have a stroke than someone of the same age and sex who hasn’t. Recognizing and treating TIAs can reduce your risk of a major stroke. TIAs should be considered a medical emergency and followed up immediately with a health care professional. If you have had a heart attack, you are at higher risk of having a stroke.
To learn more about HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, visit St. Anthony’s Web site at stanthonyshospital.org. HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital is part of the Southern Illinois Division of Hospital Sisters Health System, which also includes HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Belleville, HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese, HSHS Holy Family Hospital in Greenville, and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland.
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About Hospital Sisters Health System
Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high quality, Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our 14 Local Systems and physician practices in Illinois (Belleville, Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Litchfield, and Springfield) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan, and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries, and Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the founding institute. For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org. For more information about Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, visit www.hospitalsisters.org.
