“It’s not going to happen to me.” – Everyone until the day it does.
Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke and about 610,000 of these are first or new strokes. Strokes are not just an elderly person problem. The risk doubles every decade after age 55. Strokes are on the rise among younger people and can affect you at any age. Over the past 30 years, incidence among adults age 49 and younger has continued to increase in Southern states and the Midwest, according to the American Heart Association.
Signs of a Stroke
Stroke symptoms can be summed in an acronym: B.E. F.A.S.T.
Balance: Watch out for a sudden loss of balance or coordination.
Eyes: Note any vision loss in one or both eyes, or double vision.
Face: Watch for drooping on one side of the face.
Arms: Note any sudden weakness in an arm or leg.
Speech: Note any slurred speech or difficulty speaking or understanding words.
Time: Call 911 quickly if someone is experiencing any of these symptoms.
Stroke can be caused either by a clot obstructing the flow of blood to the brain (called an ischemic stroke) or by a blood vessel rupturing and preventing blood flow to the brain (called a hemorrhagic stroke). It is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. When a stroke occurs, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die.
Care in Central Florida
Halifax Health offers the area’s highest level of care in East Central Florida’s with a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center. “We have interventional radiologists and neurosurgeons on staff 24/7.” said Dr. Steven Miles, Senior Vice President and Chief Quality Office for Halifax Health. “We have an inpatient rehabilitation hospital within Halifax Health that specializes in stroke care, home health care that follows your care post-discharge, and Halifax Health | Brooks Rehabilitation Out Patient Rehabilitation to continue to provide occupational, physical, and speech therapy with state-of-the-art equipment.”
If you have a stroke, Halifax Health is the safest place that you can be.
Be there for yourself, your family and your community. It is up to all of us to be educated on emergency response. For more information and tips on stroke risk factors you can control, please visit the American Heart Association.
