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Stanford Stroke Awareness Month: BE FAST
05.01.2014
Take a few minutes today in honor of Stroke Awareness Month to learn the warning signs of a stroke. It could save your life or the life of a loved one.
BALANCE: Sudden loss of balance.
EYES: Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes.
FACE: Does the face look uneven?
ARM: Does one arm drift down? Ask them to raise both arms.
SPEECH: Does their speech sound strange? Ask them to repeat a phrase.
TIME: Every second brain cells die. Call 911 at any sign of stroke!
0:01 You already know that staying in shape is one of the best ways to keep your body healthy.
0:07 But did you know that goes for your brain too? The healthier you are, the less likely
0:11 you are to have a stroke. Contrary to popular belief, strokes don’t
0:17 just happen to the elderly.
0:19 They could occur in just about any of us, although some of us are more susceptible than
0:23 others. So who is more susceptible? Well, it really
0:29 all comes down to risk factors. Now, some risk factors are just a part of
0:34 life—they are part of what makes you you, and you can’t do anything about them.
0:38 We’re talking about: Your age
0:41 Your gender Good ol’ family history
0:44 Untreated heart disease or atrial fibrillation (that's irregular heartbeat for those of us
0:49 without a medical degree) But there are plenty of risk factors that
0:53 you do have some control over by making healthier choices…I'm sure you know most of these
0:57 already, humor me, I’ll promise to make it quick.
1:00 (Takes a deep breath) Stop Smoking
1:02 Moderate alcohol consumption Control your blood pressure
1:05 Lower and manage your cholesterol Stay physically active
1:08 Improve your diet Control your blood sugar levels if you have
1:12 diabetes …. Right, so now we understand who’s at risk,
1:17 but equally important is learning the signs of stroke so you can take action immediately!
1:21 So….. BE FAST! Want me to use that as an acronym you ask?
1:27 We're on it. B= Balance: Is there a sudden loss of balance?
1:32 E= Eyes: Is there a sudden loss in vision in one or both eyes?
1:36 F= Face: Does the person's face look uneven? A= Arm: Does on arm drift down? Ask the person
1:45 to raise both arms. S= Speech: Does their speech sound strange?
1:51 Ask them to repeat a phrase. T= Time: There you go! You knew this one was
1:56 coming didn't you? Every second brain cells die during a stroke.TIME is BRAIN!
2:03 So what do you do at first sign of someone having a stroke?
2:08 You dial 911! There is no time to waste! So remember, at first signs of a stroke…
2:16 BE FAST!