National Stroke Awareness Month – May 2022

National Stroke Awareness Month is an annual event held within the United States.  The aim of National Stroke Awareness Month is to make Americans aware that they may be able to “Save a Life” of a person experiencing a stroke.

According to the National Stroke Association, a person experiencing a stroke can be treated if people have acted FAST - 80% of strokes can also be prevented.

FAST being an acronym for things to check in a suspected stroke victim:

  • F - Face / Does the face droop on one side when the person smiles?

  • A - Arm / After raising both arms, does one of the arms drifts downwards?

  • S - Speech /After repeating a simple phrase, does the persons speech sound slurred or strange?

  • T - Time / If any or all of the above are observed call for 9-1-1 (if in US or 999 in UK) and ask for medical assistance.

Additional information such as stroke risk factors, stroke symptoms and stroke preventative measures can be found at Stroke Awareness Month - May 2022 (whathealth.com)

Paige Isaac