SAN ANTONIO – May is Stroke Awareness Month. It’s why stroke survivors and doctors are spreading awareness about recognizing the symptoms of strokes and sharing ways that may prevent them.
Patty Reagan, a Three Rivers resident, said she had weakness of the arms the day before having her stroke in October. Weakness of arms is a stroke symptom, something she didn’t realize at the time. The next day she had a stroke and it was her first responders who acted quickly and rushed her on a Halo flight to University Hospital. University Hospital is a known facility in South Texas for being able to perform procedures for a variety of strokes.
The next day, Reagan was able to talk normally and has made a full recovery. You can recognize those symptoms by using the acronym F.A.S.T.:
F----Drooping of the face
A---- Weakness of arms
S----Slurring of speech
T---- Time, need to act quickly
Doctors with University Hospital say 80 percent of strokes may be preventable by eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyle, keeping blood sugar and blood pressure low and quitting smoking.
For more information on recognizing strokes and preventing them click here.