Healthcare staffing specialists may have heard that someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds, according to the American Heart Association. As obesity rates along with hypertension continue to hit record highs, it's increasingly important to share methods to reduce the risk of stroke with patients and help them understand the signs and symptoms should a stroke occur.
A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off or severely reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrition. Within minutes, brain cells start to die. The good news is about 80 percent of these strokes can be prevented. Inform patients about these ways to lower risk of this fatal problem:
Take control of high blood pressure
Roughly one out of three Americans have hypertension, which is the leading cause of stroke. To keep high blood pressure in check, monitor your blood pressure. Regular exercise and a healthy diet are two essential buffers that can reduce hypertension.
Get active
Those on travel nursing assignments stress the importance of at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days a week. The trick to hitting those numbers? Choosing activities you enjoy, whether it's a pick-up basketball game at the gym, yoga or dancing.
Eat healthy
Make sure fruits and vegetables are part of every meal. When you sit down at the table, do a quick color check: if no natural greens, reds, oranges or yellows are on the plate, find some. Salads, an apple or orange are great options.
A study from Harvard School of Public Health showed that people who averaged eight or more daily servings of fruits and veggies were 30 percent less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke than those who ate 1.5 or fewer daily servings.
Lose weight
Having excess weight can lead to high blood pressure. Even losing as few as 10 pounds may lower hypertension in overweight individuals. So, minimize the risk of stroke by being physically active and sticking to a healthy diet. If patients want a better indicator besides weight, they can track their body mass index or waist-to-hip ratio. By keeping these ranges low, they can stave off stroke risk.
Monitor diabetes
People with diabetes are up to four times more likely to have a stroke than those without the disease, according to the American Diabetes Association. If your patients have diabetes, be sure they keep a close eye on blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Signs of stroke
It's important to not only inform adults about ways to lower risk of strike, but share with them the signs and symptoms. Recognizing the cues could enable someone to save a life by seeking immediate medical attention. Stroke signs include:
- Trouble walking
- Difficulty speaking or understanding – slurring one's words is a common sign
- Headache
- Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Paralysis or numbness in the face, arm or leg
The acronym "FAST" is an easy way to remember sudden signs of a stroke. Call 911 for help right away. Think "FAST" and do the following:
- Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of his or her face droop?
- Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
- Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like "The sky is blue." Did he or she repeat it correctly?
- Time to call 911: If someone has any of these symptoms, even if they fluctuate or go away, tell your patients to call 911 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Instruct them to check the time so they'll know when the symptoms first appeared.