Did you know? May is national stroke awareness month. SLPs often work with people who have had a stroke on a number of different domains, including speech, language, cognition, swallowing and voice. Today we are outlining information about common warning signs of stroke, types of stroke and risk factors for stroke, including what you can do to reduce your risk.
Warning signs of stroke:
The Brain Injury Association uses the updated acronym BE FAST to help you remember the signs of stroke. If you recognize any of these signs in you or someone around you, it is imperative to act fast and call 9-1-1.
Types of stroke
Ischemic stroke: Occurs when a blood vessel carrying blood to the brain becomes obstructed. According to the American Stroke Association, 87% of all strokes are ischemic in nature.
Hemorrhagic stroke: Occurs when a blood vessel ruptures, leaking blood into the brain tissue. The ruptured vessel is often weakened by aneurysms or arteriovenous malformations (AVMs).
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA): Often called a mini-stroke, like an ischemic stroke, blood flow to the brain is blocked, however only temporarily. This is a warning sign and should be taken seriously.
Common risk factors for stroke
- Previous stroke or TIA
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Sickle Cell Disease
What can I do to reduce my risk of stroke?
- Keep overall health in mind: Choose a healthy diet, engage in daily physical activity, avoid smoking and limit alcohol intake.
- Manage and known health conditions: Work with your physician to treat any of the health conditions listed above that you may be diagnosed with.
- See your doctor regularly to monitor health: Some of the conditions listed above can have no side effects (e.g. high blood pressure, high cholesterol), so it’s important to complete routine visits with your doctor to monitor your overall health.
According to the Brain Injury Association, someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds, and stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. Many strokes can be prevented by following the tips above. If you have further questions about stroke, please feel free to contact us.
Personally, I think we don’t care about our lifestyle until we’re facing a health condition, and we regret having neglected it in the past. That’s why I’ll be sure to spread awareness by sending your article about strokes to my family and friends. I appreciate your advice on how high cholesterol and blood pressure make us prone to a stroke.
Comments are closed.