Event Held To Raise Stroke Awareness

Evolution Healing Centre recently facilitated an education event to raise awareness for the signs of a stroke for World Stroke Day.

A spokesperson said, On 28th October 2022, Kimberley Watkins and Sandro Fubler [senior physiotherapists] from Evolution Healing Centre facilitated an education event to raise awareness for the signs of a stroke for World Stroke Day.. Kimberly McIvor Senior Speech and Language Pathologist [SLP] from Apex Allied Health was present to discuss the signs related to SLP and their role in therapy. The focus for this year’s World Stroke Day internationally was to save precious time.

“If you suspect that you or someone is having a stroke, call 911 immediately and ask for an ambulance. The sooner the person with a stroke receives treatment the better. A stroke is a medical emergency and requires prompt treatment and could mean the difference between life and death or a full recovery versus a long-term disability. Two out of three times it is a bystander who is present who must decide to call 911- so it is extremely important to know the signs and symptoms so you can call an ambulance right away.

“Remember to think ‘FAST.’ These signs are:

• Face: is the face drooping? Ask the person to smile.

• Arms: is there any arm weakness? Ask the person to raise both arms.

• Speech: are there any speech difficulties or slurring? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence such as “the sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?

• Time: it is time to call 911. If the person is showing any of these signs [even if they go away] call 911 immediately.

“Other symptoms that the person may have are:

“Complete paralysis of one side of their body; trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance; loss of coordination, generalized weakness; dizziness, confusion, or unresponsiveness; blurred vision or problems with vision; difficulty swallowing; and a sudden severe headache with no cause.

“The Bermuda Health Board launched their ‘BE FAST’ campaign, which highlights the additional signs to be aware of: B is for Balance: is the person suddenly having trouble with balance or coordination?

“E is for Eyes: is the person experiencing suddenly blurred or double vision or a sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes without pain?

“Although the weather was very rainy, there was a nice turnout, with people coming to learn the signs and share stories of those who had experienced an incidence of stroke. We must raise awareness of the signs of stroke.

“In this education session, we focused on FAST and the signs people could remember. The more we can identify and raise awareness of these signs and symptoms as a community this will help to save #precious time.”

#Health

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