Are You Stroke-Savvy?

When a stroke occurs – time is everything. The most common risk factors for stroke include: Stress, high blood cholesterol, obesity, lack of exercise, family history of stroke, diabetes and excessive alcohol use.

It’s important to recognize the signs of a stroke in yourself or others. They include:

  1. Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially when it’s on one side of the body.
  2. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
  3. Sudden trouble seeing out of one or both eyes
  4. Sudden trouble walking , dizziness, loss of balance
  5. Sudden severe headache with no known cause

There are 2 types of strokes – one that is caused by a clot in an artery that oxygenates the brain – and one that is cause by a sudden bleed in an artery in the brain. The type of stroke determines the treatment, however, in both cases immediate medical attention will provide the best outcome. Call 911 immediately.