{"id":1192,"date":"2022-02-21T17:21:42","date_gmt":"2022-02-21T17:21:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/msapc.com\/vascular-services\/?p=1192"},"modified":"2022-02-21T17:21:42","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T17:21:42","slug":"how-to-act-f-a-s-t-to-treat-stroke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/msapc.com\/vascular-services\/how-to-act-f-a-s-t-to-treat-stroke\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Act F.A.S.T. to Treat Stroke"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. On average, 1.9 million brain cells die every minute that a stroke goes untreated. Stroke can happen to anyone\u2014at any age, any time. That\u2019s why everyone needs to know the warning signs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stroke is an EMERGENCY. Call 911 immediately if you suspect you or someone else is experiencing a stroke.<\/span><\/p>\n

Act F.A.S.T. to Recognize Stroke Symptoms
\n<\/b>The American Heart Association provides this easy-to-remember guideline for recognizing stroke in yourself or others, using the letters in the word <\/span>fast.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

F<\/b>ace Drooping \u2013 Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the pe<\/span>rson’s smile uneven?
\n<\/span>A<\/b>rm Weakness \u2013 Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward<\/span>?
\n<\/span>S<\/b>peech Difficulty \u2013 Is speech slurred?
\n<\/span>T<\/b>ime to call 911<\/span><\/p>\n

The Value of Acting F.A.S.T.
\n<\/b>If you\u2019re having a stroke, it\u2019s critical that you get medical attention right away. Early treatment leads to higher survival rates and lower disability rates. Thanks to recent advances in stroke diagnosis and treatments, survival rates have improved greatly over the last decade.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Calling 911 lets first responders start treatment on someone experiencing stroke symptoms before arriving at the hospital.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Types of Stroke
\n<\/b>The F.A.S.T. symptoms\u2014face drooping, arm weakness, slurred speech\u2014are symptoms of <\/span>ischemic stroke, <\/b>which accounts for about 87% of all strokes. The same symptoms often present themselves in the case of a <\/span>transient ischemic attack (TIA)<\/b> or <\/span>warning stroke<\/b>, commonly referred to as a <\/span>mini-stroke<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Symptoms of <\/span>posterior circulation stroke<\/b> can be very different than the symptoms of the more common anterior circulation ischemic stroke. These symptoms may include:<\/span><\/p>\n