Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, according to the American Heart Association, and EMMC is working to help decrease our patients' risks and to improve their outcomes after stroke. The best way to prevent a stroke is to understand the risk factors that may lead to a stroke. You can change or treat some risk factors, but others you can’t. By having regular medical checkups and knowing your risk, you can focus on what you can change and lower your risk of stroke.

Dr. Stephanie Lash, medical director for EMMC’s Stroke Center, says the best way to maximize outcomes is through education and prevention. Dr. Lash is one of the many members of our Stroke Team working for the best outcomes for our patients. Early identification and treatment is best. If patients and their families and friends know the warning signs and get medical attention right away, they have an excellent chance of making a good recovery. Women especially need to know the warning signs, as they account for more than 60 percent of deaths from stroke.

EMMC is adopting the following educational warning signs from the Stroke Collaboration, a partnership of the American Academy of Neurology, American College of Emergency Physicians, and the American Heart Association.

To check if someone is having a stroke, ask the person to Give You 5!

Walk - Is their balance off?
    Things to look for or ask:
        Are they able to stand straight and tall, or do they slump to one side? 
        Do they appear to have lost strength on one side of their body? 
        Are they leaning to one side when they try to walk? 
        Are they veering off to one side? 
        Are they dragging the foot on the side they are leaning toward?

Talk - Is their speech slurred, or is their face droopy?
    Things to look for or ask:
        Are they having problems speaking? 
        Are they having problems "getting their words out?" 
        Do they sound like they have something in their mouth?
        Do their words make sense? 
        Does one side of their mouth droop down?

Reach - Is one side weak or numb?
    Things to look for or ask:
        Ask the person to raise both their arms up together. Does one arm
            begin to fall down? 
        Ask the person to squeeze your fingers with each hand.
            Is one hand weaker than the other? 
        If you ask the person to try to hold something like a pen, 
            can they do it without any difficulty? 
        Can the person feel you touch them on their arm?

See - Is their vision all or partially lost?
    Things to look for or ask:
        Ask the person to try to describe any changes in their vision. 
        Is their vision clear? 
        Is their vision blurry? 
        Can they see everything in their field of vision? 
        Does the person see double?

Feel - Is their headache severe?
    Things to look for or ask:
        Do they have a headache? On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst, 
            ask them to rate their headache. 
        Do they normally have headaches? If so, is this headache 
            any different from their usual headache? 
        Does this feel like the worst headache of their life? 
        Does light bother or hurt their eyes? 
        Does a sound or loud noise make the headache worse?

If you or someone you know answers yes to any of these questions, you should call an ambulance and go to hospital immediately! Early treatment may be available to limit the damage caused by the stroke and reduce any disability.