LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — UofL Health is raising awareness about stroke symptoms and treatment as Stroke Awareness Month comes to an end.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every 40 seconds, someone has a stroke.
Dr Saad Hasan, who works at the UofL Health Brain and Spine Institute, said knowing the warning signs of a stroke and getting care quickly is critical.
"Anything that you notice is off suddenly can potentially be a stroke," Hasan said. "A very bad headache, a sudden loss of arm movements, you can’t gather words, your thought process, anything that happens acutely or suddenly can be a stroke."
UofL Health shared the following acronym, "BE FAST," as a guide for recognizing stroke symptoms:
- Balance loss
- Eyes
- Face drooping
- Arm weakness
- Speech difficulty
- Time to call 911
Hasan said knowing the risk factors is also important. The Brain and Spine Institute recently completed a study including 2,000 patients under 55 who had a stroke.
According to the findings, physical inactivity was one of the most common risk factors among all the patients. Additional risk factors listed were high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, smoking, vaping, heavy drinking and an unhealthy diet.
Hasan also said treatment after a stroke is a "very long and a multidisciplinary process."
"It can involve rehabilitation and stroke prevention," Hasan said. "And it can involve different teams like physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and daily medications to prevent more strokes from happening, and even changing some lifestyles."
UofL Health has a team of stroke specialists and is home to Kentucky's first Joint Commission-certified Comprehensive Stroke Center.
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