May is national stroke awareness month

Lynsey Tomlins, our Older Persons Team Leader, has worked for Aspire Housing for 10 over years and tells us why being stroke aware is so important.  'My own father suffered from a stroke at work, aged 57, with no warning, and working in Community Living I often see how profoundly strokes can affect people’s lives.'

Here are Lynsey's tips to spotting the signs and how you can lower the risk of a stroke.

What is a stroke?

A stroke is an attack on the brain, and it happens when the blood supply to a part of the brain is cut off, causing the affected area to die. Strokes can happen suddenly without warning and are a leading cause of long-term disability. 

There are two vital factors in stroke awareness: with the first being reducing risk factors and the second being to recognise the symptoms of a  stroke. 

The acronym FAST is an easy way to recognise common symptoms:

Face: Can the person smile? Has their face fallen on one side?
Arms : Can the person raise both arms and keep them there?
Speech : Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say? Is their speech slurred?

Time : If you see any of these three signs, it's time to call 999.

The best outcomes for those who suffer strokes occur if medical treatment is given within the first hour. 

Managing lifestyle factors is also important for reducing the risk of stroke. Controlling your blood pressure, its estimated that this could reduce the numbers suffering stokes by 39%, ensuring you get enough physical activity and a balances diet as well as giving up smoking and monitoring alcohol intake can really help. Stressful situations and having diabetes can also increase risk.

You can find out more information at www.stroke.org.uk/makemaypurple