|
CO-DOC Telemedicine
Education & Information
Stroke Overview
There are approximately 7,000 ischemic strokes annually in Colorado. Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death in the US and Colorado after heart disease and cancer, but it is the #1 cause of long-term disability. Following are stroke risk factors that can be changed, treated or controlled.
- High blood pressure
- High blood cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Carotid or other artery disease
- Cigarette smoking
- Atrial fibrillation and other heart disease
- Physical inactivity or obesity
- Poor diet
- Blood clotting disorders
Signs and Symptoms
The ability to treat stroke is directly related to how quickly a patient is admitted after the stroke occurs. Therefore it is critical to quickly recognize when a person is having a stroke. There are many symptoms of stroke such as:
- Numbness on one side of the body
- Difficulty speaking or understanding
- Change in vision
Loss of balance or dizziness
- Severe headaches.
Act FAST!
Stroke is treatable. It is simple to remember to act FAST.
- FACE - Does the FACE look uneven? Ask them to smile...
- ARM – Does one arm drift down? Ask them to raise both arms...
- SPEECH – Does their speech sound strange? Ask them to repeat a simple phrase...
- TIME – Every second, brain cells die.
CALL 9-1-1 at ANY sign of stroke!
|
