National Stroke Awareness Month

 

May marks the start of National Stroke Awareness Month. It is widely perceived that having a stroke is unpreventable, but that is not the case.  Queen City Elder Care would like to discuss how to look out for the signs of a stroke and ways to prevent them.

It’s a fact that anyone, regardless of race or age, can have a stroke. But there are several risk factors that will increase your odds of suffering from one. Stroke.org points out the differences between uncontrollable risk factors and controllable ones. “Uncontrollable risk factors include being over age 55, being male, being African American, Hispanic or Asian/Pacific Islander, or having a family history of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).” Stroke risks that you can control consist of alcohol use, smoking, lack of psychical activity, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and high blood pressure. With the help of your doctor, these ailments are all treatable and unhealthy behaviors like smoking can be changed.

Remember the acronym F.A.S.T. when thinking of the signs of stroke:

Face: Is one side of your face dropping?

Arms: After raising both arms, does one of them drift downward?

Speech: Does your speech sound strange or slurred?

Time: If any of the above apply to you, call 9-1-1 right away.

Do you know someone who has suffered from one or even multiple strokes? Queen City Elder Care has trained professionals who provide in-home support and companionship for such individuals. Now that you know a stroke can be prevented, help us spread awareness by simply sharing this post.