To mark World Stroke Day today, the Stroke Team at Letterkenny University Hospital would like to advise people on the signs of stroke and to remind everyone to seek help immediately and do not wait to see if symptoms go away.
Christine McLoughlin, Clinical Nurse Specialist in Stroke at the hospital said: “When it comes to stroke, it is important to think FAST which is: F for Face, has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile? A for Arms, can they raise both their arms and keep them there? S for Speech, is their speech slurred? T is for Time, time to call 999 or 112 if you see any single one of these signs. Stroke destroys 2 million brain cells every minute, so every minute counts.”
Dr Ashfaque Memon, Consultant in Stroke added: “Stroke is a medical emergency and needs to be assessed by medical professionals in hospital. The quicker we get the blood flowing back to the brain the more of the brain we can save, reducing disability and even death. Each year, approximately 10,000 Irish people have a stroke and around 2,000 die – more deaths than breast cancer, prostate cancer and bowel cancer combined. Stroke is the third biggest cause of death in Ireland and the biggest cause of acquired disability.
“About 80 per cent of strokes are preventable and we can start today to improve our lifestyle and reduce the risk of stroke. These steps to reduce the risk of stroke include taking moderate physical exercise like going for a brisk walk; talking to your GP about monitoring your blood pressure, your cholesterol and checking for signs of diabetes. Another way to reduce your risk of stroke is to eat a healthy diet, reduce alcohol and reduce weight if need be. And as we always advise, if you are a smoker, please consider quitting. You can get lots of advice and supports by going to quit.ie.
“We urge everyone to seek medical help as soon as possible if they notice any of the signs themselves or in a family member or friend.”
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