By Brandy Welvaert
May is Stroke Awareness Month, and knowing the signs and symptoms of stroke can save your life or the life of someone you care about. Stroke can happen suddenly, and every second counts when it comes to getting treatment. Doctors at Mayo Clinic say remembering a simple acronym — B.E.F.A.S.T. — can help you recognize the warning signs of stroke and act quickly.
Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. About 1 in 4 people worldwide will experience stroke in their lifetime.
A stroke happens when blood flow to the brain is blocked or a blood vessel bursts, causing brain cells to die within minutes. It is often linked to risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity and aging.
The American Stroke Association has updated the acronym it uses to help identify a stroke. B.E.F.A.S.T. (pronounced “be fast”) adds two letters — B and E — to the former acronym F.A.S.T.
Each letter in BEFAST represents a warning sign of stroke — and recognizing them quickly can save a life.
- B stands for balance. Sudden onset of loss of balance or coordination.
- E stands for eyes. That’s going to be vision problems, sudden loss of vision in one eye or the other.
- F is face. And so you’re going to look for facial drooping or facial weakness.
- A stands for sudden onset weakness of one side of the arm, or one side of the leg on one side of the body.
- S stands for sudden onset speech disturbance. So some difficulty in communicating or speaking
- T stands for time just to remind us that time is brain.
If you have someone that you think is having a stroke, it’s time to call 911. Recognizing the signs and acting quickly can make all the difference. And the good news is up to 90% of strokes may be preventable by managing risk factors and living a healthy lifestyle.
When someone suffers a stroke, every second counts. And the faster a patient receives treatment, the better the odds for a positive outcome. Recognizing B.E.F.A.S.T. and getting treatment quickly can minimize damage to the brain and minimize post-stroke complications.
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