SARASOTA – Dr. Mauricio Concha, MD, is the medical director for the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. He says you should look for a sudden onset of loss of neurologic function.
Dr. Concha says those symptoms can include loss of feeling on one side, inability to walk, slurred or nonsensical speech, and facial drooping.
If you’re having any doubt whether you or your loved one are having a stroke, you should call 9-1-1 immediately. If a stroke is very severe, Dr. Concha says doctors can start treatment while you’re still in the CT scanner.
He says to use the acronym F.A.S.T. to determine whether someone is having a stroke, and what you should do.
‘F’ stands for face. Dr. Concha says check your face or your loved one’s for any facial drooping on one side. ‘A’ stands for arm. Have your loved one raise both arms in front of them, and if they have trouble keeping one or both arms up, that’s a red flag. ‘S’ stands for speech. Ask your loved one a question. If they’re slurring words, or can’t find the right words to put together, that’s another sign. ‘T’ is for time.
“Time is brain,” Dr. Concha said. He says for every minute that goes by during a stroke, you lose two million neurons, or brain cells. He says the biggest risk factor for a stroke is high blood pressure, and if everyone with hypertension were properly treated, it would cut the current number of U.S. strokes per year in half. Other risk factors include age and gender. Ones you can control include lifestyle choices, like exercise and a healthy diet, and limiting drinking and smoking.