F.A.S.T. is an appropriate pneumonic device to remember the signs of stroke, because seconds count when a stroke occurs.
I was among those Americans who was not familiar with F.A.S.T. when I suffered a stroke. That was 15 years ago, but unfamiliarity with the signs of stroke still is shared by more than 90 percent of people.
A recent survey by the American Stroke Council/Ad Council Stroke Awareness Continuous Tracking Study found only 8 percent of people surveyed could identify F.A.S.T.
The letters and symptoms they convey are:
F - Face drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.
A - Arm weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S - Speech difficulty: Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence like, "The sky is blue." Is the sentence repeated correctly?
T - Time to call 9-1-1: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately.
Additional stroke signs include: sudden severe headache with no known cause; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; or sudden confusion or trouble understanding.
Many people think of strokes as a disease of the elderly, but I suffered my stroke at age 48. And I have met people who have suffered strokes when they were much younger. The American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, advises that a stroke can happen to anyone at any time.
Stroke also is the leading cause of long-term disability and the nation's No. 5 leading cause of death. According to the council, when a person recognizes a stroke and quickly calls 9-1-1, the person has a greater chance of getting to an appropriate hospital quickly and being assessed for a clot-busting drug or other medical devices that may save their life and improve their chances for recovery.
Additional information and a free mobile app about strokes are available at StrokeAssociation.org.
Take time during May's observance of Stroke Awareness Month to familiarize yourself with F.A.S.T. And, if those warning signs appear, act quickly to seek medical attention.
RFM