May is American Stroke Month, which is a great time of the year to raise awareness about the warning signs and risks for stroke and to emphasize healthy lifestyle behaviors you can adopt to control your risk and improve overall brain health.
Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of long-term disability among Americans. Although some risk factors for stroke cannot be changed, such as age, family history, race and sex, up to 80% of strokes are preventable through adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors and, in some cases, medication. High blood pressure is the number one controllable risk factor but there are many other controllable risk factors like high cholesterol, smoking, poor dietary habits and physical inactivity.
We have the power to take action the moment we notice something is wrong. To quickly and easily recognize when your loved one or friend is having a stroke, use F.A.S.T. to remember the warning signs of a stroke. Quick identification of these signs is crucial since the faster they receive treatment, the more likely they are to recover without permanent damage.