Act F.A.S.T! Stroke is Treatable at A J Hospital
Act F.A.S.T! F.A.S.T. stands for : FACE – Ask the person to smile. Check to see if one side of the face droops; ARMS –Ask the person to raise both arms. See if one arm drifts downward; SPEECH – Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Check to see if words are slurred and if the sentence is repeated correctly; and TIME – If a person shows any of these symptoms, time is essential. It is important to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. Yes, Stroke is Treatable at A J Hospital and Research Centre if you quickly rush the person affected with Stroke to the hospital within 3 to 4½ hours of symptom onset, where the blocked artery could be reopened by giving a clot-busting drug to dissolve the clot.
Mangaluru: October 29th was established by the World Stroke Organization in 2006 to spread public awareness of world’s high stroke risk and stroke prevalence. World Stroke Day 2016 aims to reduce the global burden of stroke with the theme “Stroke is Treatable”. To mark ‘World Stroke Day’, A J Hospital and Research Centre is conducting Comprehensive stroke checkup at a concessional rate to screen patients who could be at risk for stroke from 07/11/2016 to 12/11/2016. The check-up package is offered at Rs.2000/= against the actual cost of Rs.5440/= to include Blood investigations such as CBC, FBS, Serum Creatinine, Lipid Profile, Carotid Doppler study, ECG, CT Head (plain) and Consultation with Neurologist. Check-up will be on appointment only, and walk-ins are are not accepted.
To brief on “World Stroke Day” and the check-up camp at A J Hospital, a press meet was organized at Hotel Ocean Pearl, where Dr Dr Suresh BV, Consultant Neurologist at AJ Hospital addressed the media persons with the following details through power-point presentation :
What is stroke?
A stroke occurs when blood follow to a part of the brain stops or there is a tear in the blood vessel of the brain leading to brain hemorrhage. A stroke is sometimes called a “brain attack”. If blood flow is cut off for longer than a few seconds, the brain cannot get nutrients and oxygen. Brain cells can die, causing lasting damage.
What are the causes of stroke?
Ischemic and Hemorrhagic are 2 major types of stroke.
Ischemic stroke occurs when a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain is blocked by a blood clot and also by clogging of arteries due to plaque. Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in part of the brain comes weak and bursts open. Hemorrhagic stroke may occur when people are taking blood thinners an also those who have high blood pressure. An ischemic stroke can develop bleeding and become hemorrhagic stroke.
Stroke – risk factors :
Hypertension (Blood Pressure); Irregular heartbeat, called atrial fibrillation; Diabetes; Family history of stroke; High Cholesterol; Increasing age, especially after age 55; Ethnicity Cardiac Diseases; Smokers, high-fat-diet and lack of exercise; Women on birth control pills (especially those who smoke and are older than 35); and Women who take hormone replacement therapy
Stroke – Symptoms :
Symptoms of stroke depend on which part of the brain is damaged. In some cases, a person may not know that a stroke has occurred. Most of the time, symptoms develop suddenly and without warning. Symptoms may occur on and off for the first day or two. Symptoms are usually most severe when the stroke first happens, but they may slowly get worse- Difficulty in speaking; Deviation of mouth to one side; Weakness of one half of the body; Numbness or tingling on one side of the body; Loss of balance or coordination or trouble walking; and Confusion or loss of memory
When to contact a Medical Professional?
Stroke is a medical emergency that needs to be treated immediately. The acronym F.A.S.T. is an easy way to remember signs of stroke and what to do if you think a stroke has occurred. The most important action to take is to immediately call for emergency assistance. Time plays a crucial role in the treatment of stroke. If the patient arrives within 3 to 4½ hours of symptom onset, the blocked artery could be reopened by giving a clot-busting drug to dissolve the clot. F.A.S.T. stands for
FACE – Ask the person to smile. Check to see if one side of the face droops.
ARMS –Ask the person to raise both arms. See if one arm drifts downward.
SPEECH – Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Check to see if words are slurred and if the sentence is repeated correctly.
TIME – If a person shows any of these symptoms, time is essential. It is important to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. Act FAST.
Stroke prevention :
Addressing the risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, elevated cholesterol, obesity, heart diseases, family history of stroke and smoking, lessens the chance of having stroke substantially.
Shivaprasad Shetty, AJ Hospital Marketing Consultant welcomed the media person and gave brief description of the project, while Lidwin D’Souza and Janet of the Aj Hospital marketing department proposed the vote of thanks, and handled the power-point presentation respectively.
Please Note :On the occasion of World Stroke Day, A J Hospital is conducting Comprehensive stroke checkup at a concessional rate to screen patients who could be at risk for stroke from 07/11/2016 to 12/11/2016. The check-up package is offered at Rs.2000/= against the actual cost of Rs.5440/= to include Blood investigations such as CBC, FBS, Serum Creatinine, Lipid Profile, Carotid Doppler study, ECG, CT Head (plain) and Consultation with Neurologist. Check-up will be on appointment only.
For appointments, please call 0824 6613165 or write to us at ajhlounge@gmail.com.