If you walk the halls of many Seattle hospitals today, you'll see signs reminding folks to BE FAST. You may even see signs on buses around Seattle promoting the FAST message.
But what is this all about? These are the warning signs for stroke. Promoting this message is an important part of public awareness. It's also something to make sure your friends, colleagues, and relatives know about. B = Balance E = Eyes F = Face A = Arms S = Speech T = Time to call 911 If you observe someone who suddenly has trouble with their balance or their vision; or if their face starts to droop, they have trouble holding up an arm or their speech slurs, call 911. That person may be having a stroke. Time is now critical. Many of us likely experienced one or more of those symptoms when we had our strokes. We need to be aware of them in case we have another or someone near us has a stroke. Don't worry about making an actual diagnosis. If you see these symptoms, call 911 and let the experts decide. Above all, BE FAST. If symptoms like this happen often and you're reluctant to call 911, speak with your regular physician. Or your insurance company may offer a 24 hour nurse line you can call for guidance. Those can be great resources. Of course with stroke, time lost is brain lost. Hospitals can administer a clot busting drug called tPA to minimize damage from many ischemic stokes, but unusually only with the fir 3-4.5 hours after symptoms appear. A surgical option may be available to remove a clot in within the first 24 hours. Of symptoms appearing. Treatments for hemorrhagic strokes may include techniques to minimize damage from swelling. All these treatments must be administered quickly to be effective. That's why it's so important to BE FAST.
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Bill MonroeBill is a Gen X stroke survivor and podcaster who facilitates the monthly YASS meeting. Really what makes the meetings work is the tremendous support from the community and volunteers. Archives
April 2019
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