What is a stroke?
If you get a stroke, your brain’s blood supply gets blocked by a blood clot. A blood clot is a fatty plug that can move and block blood flow. When your brain does not get blood, your brain cells die within minutes. If that happens, severe brain damage and death could happen. Getting to the hospital as soon as you can is the best way to reduce brain damage.
What are the signs of a stroke?
•Think FAST
—->Face = Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face sag down?
—->Arms = Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downwards, or is one arm unable to go up?
—->Speech = Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred or strange?
—->Time = If you observe any of these signs, call 911 right away!
What causes a stroke?
High Blood Pressure, High Blood Fat, High Blood Cholesterol, Obesity, Tobacco Use, Heavy Alcohol Use, Drugs, Diabetes, Personal or Family History of Stroke
What can a stroke incident cause?
Severe brain damage and death
What can you do?
You can greatly reduce your stroke risk now! By eating less fatty foods, exercising more, and losing weight, you can avoid getting a stroke.
Resources
Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stroke/home/ovc-20117264
WebMD http://www.webmd.com/stroke/default.htm
Special Thanks
Derek Chang graduated with a Bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Utah. Go Utes! He was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. He aspires to become a physician-entrepreneur to find and create new ways of improving overall patient health. He enjoys skiing, hiking, camping, reading books, meeting new people, and learning anything new.
