MAY is National Stroke Month

As the leading cause of disability and the fifth leading cause of death in the US, stroke is a disease of the arteries leading into and around the brain. When the artery clogs or bursts, that affected area of the brain no longer receives oxygen and nutrients.  Time is of the essence with a stroke, the sooner you can get medical attention for yourself of a loved one, the better the potential outcome.

Using F. A. S. T. to spot the warning signs of stroke can save a life and reduce the potential for severe damage and disability:

F = Face Drooping – Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven?

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?

T = Time to call 911

Other symptoms, with sudden onset, can be:

NUMBNESS or weakness of face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body

CONFUSION, trouble speaking or understanding speech

TROUBLE SEEING in one or both eyes

TROUBLE WALKING, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

SEVERE HEADACHE with no known cause

Please visit the American Stroke Association for more information.

Among many, here are some books at WCPLS that are informational and/or anecdotal using STROKE as a search term:

The Beauty of Dusk: On Vision Lost and Found by Frank Bruni, 362.41 BRU on the New Book Shelf at both our Franklin and Fairview locations.

The Beauty of Living Twice by Sharon Stone in Biographies at Main in Franklin.

Black Health Matters: the Vital Facts You Must Know to Protect Your Health and Those of Your Loved Ones by Richard W. Walker, Jr., MD.,  613.08996 WAL on the New Book Shelf at Main.

Between Heaven and Hell: the Story of my Stroke by David Talbot,  616.810092 TAL on the second floor at Main.

What You Must Know About Strokes: How to Recover from a Stroke and Prevent Another Stroke by Amytis Towfighi, MD, Laura J. Stevens, MSCI., 616.81 TOW in the general collection at the Leiper’s Fork branch and the second floor at Main.