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COLORADO SPRINGS – As part of Stroke Awareness Month and to raise awareness about the condition, we are going over the common symptoms of a stroke.
When I spent about half-hour randomly visiting with people in Colorado Springs, I found a fair representation of what UCHealth found in a survey they did in April, when they polled more than 200 people on their knowledge of the most common warning signs of a stroke.
Doctors sum up the symptoms with the acronym F.A.S.T.
F – Facial drooping
A – Arm weakness
S – Slurred speech
T – Time to call 9-1-1
Of the people UCHealth surveyed, 8 percent admitted they didn’t know any signs of a stroke. A quarter of people correctly identified speech difficulty as a symptom, and 15 percent correctly mentioned facial drooping. Only 6 percent correctly identified arm weakness as a major symptom. Just 2 percent correctly knew what F.A.S.T. stands for in terms of stroke symptoms.
Doctors continue to emphasize that no matter how good stroke care is, even at a Comprehensive Stroke Center like UCHealth Memorial, time is the most critical element when it comes to successful stroke treatment. If people don’t quickly recognize stroke symptoms and call 9-1-1, outcomes may not be as favorable.
Despite the importance of calling 9-1-1, the UCHealth research study found that 41 percent of respondents who experienced a stroke themselves or who had a family member with a stroke were transported to the hospital by private car – either a family member drove them or they drove themselves.
In my conversations on the street asking people if they knew the warning signs of a stroke, many were quick to instead list the common signs of a heart attack. Doctors say the push years ago to raise awareness of the signs of a heart attack has educated people about heart health. Neurologists and neurosurgeons say the push now needs to focus on stroke, which can be likened to a brain attack. The symptoms shouldn’t be ignored and when they strike, it’s time to call 9-1-1.
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