Butler area doctors share symptoms of stroke for awareness month
“Be fast” is not just advice to people witnessing someone suffer from a stroke, the letters form a mnemonic device created by the American Stroke Association to help people memorize outward signs of a stroke.
“B.E. F.A.S.T.” stands for Balance issues; Eyesight changes; Face drooping; Arm weakness; Speech difficulty; and finally, Time to call 911. Dr. Mary Kovacik Eicher, a neurologist at Excela Health, said these physical effects of a stroke are the first signs that a person should contact emergency services.
“If you’re with someone and you’re concerned that they might be having a stroke, some changes you might see in them might be weakness on one side of the body, numbness or loss of sensation on one side of the body, and a sudden inability to understand the words that they’re saying,” Kovacik Eicher said. “If it happens that quickly, then they need to seek medical care immediately.”
The American Heart Association, American Stroke Association and other health organizations recognize May each year as National Stroke Awareness Month, dedicated to raising awareness of stroke symptoms and prevention.
According to statistics from the heart association, strokes accounted for about 1 in every 21 deaths among Americans in 2021, making it the fifth-leading cause of death for Americans that year. Ahead of it are heart disease, cancer, COVID-19 and accidental death.
According to the Mayo Clinic, a stroke occurs when the brain is deprived of the blood supply it needs to function. This can occur either due to a blood vessel in the brain leaking — a hemorrhagic stroke — or a blood clot cutting off blood flow to the brain — an ischemic stroke.
While even relatively healthy people can suffer a stroke at any age, there are certain risk factors that increase the likelihood.
“The number-one cause of stroke is high blood pressure, and high blood pressure can go undetected,” said Melisse Maser, nurse practitioner in neurology at Butler Memorial Hospital. “So we encourage everyone to get their blood pressure checked at least once a year.”
Other major risk factors for stroke include preexisting conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, as well as obesity, and a history of smoking or alcohol abuse.
Age also can be a factor, Maser said.
“Stroke can happen at any age. There are risk factors in the young that are a little different than risk factors in older patients,” Maser said. “But the older you get, the higher chance of having a stroke.”
The easiest ways to reduce the risk of stroke are to eliminate unhealthy behaviors such as drinking alcohol, smoking, eating junk food and getting an annual wellness check for other disorders that could increase risk of stroke, such as diabetes or sleep apnea.
Stroke sufferers usually do not receive much warning before the event happens. It is usually up to those around the patient to recognize the signs of a stroke and take action to minimize the damage.
“The symptoms are sudden-onset, meaning they just happen like that,” Maser said.
Depending on the severity of the stroke, the long-term effects can be permanent and life-changing for those who survive. These can include, but are not limited to, paralysis, memory issues and vision problems.
“Some patients can have depression or mood changes, or changes in their thinking and their memory,” Maser said. “It just depends on the size and the location of the stroke, so it is different for everyone, and not everyone gets all of those symptoms.”
Independence Health System, which includes Butler Memorial Hospital, also is observing National Stroke Awareness Month with a series of events throughout May, including a virtual “lunch and learn” presentation led by Maser on the subject of “brain-healthy lifestyles” that can reduce the risk of stroke and other neurological diseases, taking place at noon Wednesday, May 21.
In addition, Westmoreland Hospital — another part of the health system, located in Greensburg — hosts a support group for stroke survivors and caregivers on the fourth Tuesday of each month, including May 27, at 6 p.m. It includes a virtual component for those who can’t make it to Greensburg in person.
