Awareness of stroke symptoms important
3 April 2014
MidCentral Health is encouraging people to learn more about stroke; ahead of Stroke Awareness Week which runs from 7-13 April.
Strokes are the third most frequent cause of death in New Zealand, accounting for about 2500 deaths each year. It doesnt just impact older people either, with 10 percent of deaths occurring in those aged under 65. It is also the leading cause of long-term disability.
One-third of new stroke patients (700 per 1,000,000) die each year, and less than half recover and regain their independence. It is important to identify risk factors and causes of stroke in order to take steps toward prevention. Primary prevention addresses all measures for avoiding a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Prevention includes blood pressure lowering, cholesterol reduction, smoking cessation, and antiplatelet therapy (to help prevent blood clots).
A stroke can either result from a brain bleed or from a blocked vessel in the brain. Brain bleeds can present with an abrupt onset of a severe headache (like no headache ever experienced before), accompanied by vomiting and neck stiffness.
However, more often strokes present with one or more symptoms highlighted below.
To help prevent the deaths and ongoing disabilities that result from strokes, the Stroke Foundation of New Zealand has devised a quick check to recognise stroke symptoms.
Using the FAST check, people are encouraged to look at the: Face smile see if one side of the mouth is drooping Arms raise both arms and see if one side is weak Speech try speaking. Is it possible, and are words jumbled or slurred? Time act fast, any lost time could mean lost brain function.
The faster people act when a stroke is taking place, the better. For some strokes thrombolytic treatment (breaking the clot down) is a potential treatment in the first few hours.
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Awareness of stroke symptoms important