May is stroke awareness month, and of all the days, weeks, and months given to various diseases, this is one of the more important ones. Fighting against stroke is in your hands—not just in terms of prevention, but in taking immediate action. What are the chances you will have to know the signs of stroke? Increasingly high, as stroke is happening to younger and younger people.
That’s the first thing to be aware of as we talk about stroke this month: people in their 30s are at risk now more than ever. There’s not any one cause, and it’s more than a genetic risk. A combination of factors from stress, less sleep, processed food, and less exercise (as well as other lifestyle and environmental factors) are all contributing to the increased risk for stroke.
Here’s the second thing everyone should know: women are just as much at risk for stroke. Because timing is so crucial when it comes to stroke, don’t make assumptions about a person risk factor based on things like age, race, or gender. Just make sure you know the signs of stroke, or FAST.
FAST stands for:
F Face:Â if the face suddenly becomes uneven (drooping at the eye or mouth)
A Arms:Â have them raise both arms, does only one go all the way up?
S Speech:Â is speech slurred or jumbled?
T Time: if you’ve identified incoherent speech and sudden muscle slack on one side of the body, hurry to a hospital/call an ambulance! Time, AKA getting to medical care quickly, is the most important factor for recovery.
The good news is that there are lots of medical and therapy options after a stroke.
The even better news is that you can do your part to take care of your body and brain by following basic health practices like letting your body sleep as needed, taking time to de-stress, eating right and exercising. And you can always do a little more by adding extra support in your diet with Mito Cardia. Heart health/the cardiovascular system often show the first warning signs of stroke risk, so it makes sense to target them with extra support.
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