MEMPHIS, Tenn. — May is Stroke Awareness Month and Mid-South hospitals are doing what they can to spread the word about the leading cause of disability in the world.
A stroke can happen at any age or time. A diet is high in salt and saturated fats, can cause a person’s blood pressure can rise, and make them even more susceptible.
There are three major signs someone is a stroke. Just remember the word FAST.
- Face drooping?
- Arm weakness?
- Speech difficulty?
- Time to call 911.
“Your best outcome is if you are able to get that clot busting medication on the front end. So that's the reason we want you to come in as soon as you can even - if you wake up that way,” said Angel Pickett with Methodist North. “We still treat you if you went to bed normal and wake up and you try to get out of bed and you can’t move one side of your body - still call 911 because you are still treatable at that point.”
To curb the chances of having a stroke, the American Heart Association has lowered the blood pressure guidelines to 130 over 80. Anything above that is considered high.