Approximately 15 million people around the world suffer from a stroke each year..

Of these, 6 million patients die, and 5 million remain disabled..

Although stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the world, most of us know very little about this disease, which puts our own health at risk..

The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) says 1 in 3 Americans fail to recognize the warning symptoms of a stroke..

What’s more, a recent AHA/ASA study found that many women in the US are unaware of the signs of a stroke, even though they are much more susceptible to the condition than men..

“This lack of knowledge about the signs of stroke can be a major barrier to reducing mortality and disability in our country.. This is critical because ignorance drives up medical costs and slows down functional recovery,” says Dr. Lori Mosca, who led the study..

May is National Stroke Awareness Month in the United States, an annual campaign launched in 1989 to raise public awareness of this dangerous disease..

What is a stroke?

A stroke occurs when there is an acute disruption of the blood supply to a part of the brain, which leads to cell death and, accordingly, to damage to the brain and partial loss of its functions..

How a person experiences a stroke depends on many factors, including which parts of the brain are affected.. Many stroke victims have impaired speech, movement and memory. In severe cases, paralysis and even death can develop..

There are two types of stroke - ischemic and hemorrhagic.. Ischemic stroke is the most common, accounting for 87% of all strokes.. Ischemic stroke occurs when a cerebral artery is blocked by a blood clot (thrombus) or when fatty deposits gradually build up on the vascular wall (atherosclerosis).

A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel ruptures and blood spills into the surrounding tissues. This is the most dangerous type of stroke.. Although hemorrhagic stroke accounts for 13% of cases, it is responsible for 30% of deaths.

Risk factors for stroke.

There are many risk factors for stroke, some of which we cannot control.. For example, age and ethnicity. Individuals over age 55 have the highest risk of stroke, and Hispanics, Africans, and Pacific Islanders have a greater risk of stroke than Europeans.

Another important risk factor is a family history of stroke or transient ischemic attacks (TIA). If your parents had something similar, you too are at risk..

Women are more prone to stroke than men. In the United States, women have an average of 55,000 more strokes each year than men..

According to the US National Stroke Association, people with high blood pressure are about 1.5 times more likely to have a stroke than others.. Hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for stroke that we can control..

“The #1 risk factor for stroke is high blood pressure.. It's important to check your blood pressure regularly and consult with your doctor about it,"

High cholesterol also increases the risk of stroke, because cholesterol contributes to the gradual blockage of the cerebral arteries.. Moreover, for the same reason, high cholesterol is associated with the risk of myocardial infarction..

Smoking is another important modifiable risk factor. Compared to non-smokers, smokers are about twice as likely to have a stroke.. Smoking reduces blood oxygenation, meaning the heart has to work harder to supply all tissues with oxygen.. This means that the risk of blood clots increases, which can block the cerebral artery..

Overweight people are also at risk of stroke. In addition, excess weight contributes to high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, insulin resistance and diabetes..

Despite so many common factors, the ASA says 58% of US residents are unaware they have these factors.. A 2009 UK study showed that out of 2,000 participants, less than half were able to identify their risk factors.

Dr Kate Holmes, Associate Director of Research for the UK Stroke Association, says the recklessness is disturbing: “There is an urgent need to raise people's awareness of stroke risk factors.. It is believed that half of the cases of stroke can be prevented by making simple lifestyle changes, such as controlling blood pressure and exercising.”.

act fast.

" ) is an English acronym that helps to remember the main symptoms of a stroke and is widely popularized in the West.. It is decoded as follows:.

F (Face drooping). Ask the person to smile. Smile asymmetrical?

A (Arm Weakness - hand weakness). Ask to raise both hands. One hand doesn't go up?

S(Speech Difficulty - difficult speech). Man speaks slowly? Its hard to understand? Ask him to repeat a simple phrase. He can't reproduce it accurately.?

T (Timetocall 911 - time to call for help). If a person has any of these symptoms, even if they disappear, call an ambulance!

TIA: ignoring the symptoms.

One of the most insidious conditions is a transient ischemic attack (TIA), also known as a microstroke.. TIA occurs when a short-term blockage of a cerebral vessel, due to which the blood supply to a part of the brain for some period remained insufficient.

The symptoms of a TIA are similar to those of a stroke, but they go away after a short time.. The patient may experience sudden numbness of part of the face, leg, or arm. There may be fainting, temporary speech difficulty, vision problems, and dizziness.

According to the US National Stroke Association, approximately 40% of people who are once diagnosed with a TIA will have a stroke sometime in the future..

A recent survey by the UK Stroke Association found that 47% of respondents who experienced TIA symptoms had no idea what happened to them.. Some 37% took no action because they “didn’t feel they needed medical attention”.

Moreover, the Stroke Association says that British doctors themselves find it very difficult to diagnose transient ischemic attack..

50% of survey participants admitted that they either do not know about TIA at all or have heard very little about it. In addition, 16% of respondents say that they felt that the doctor did not take their complaints seriously when talking about their TIA.. 25% said the doctor didn't recognize their symptoms as TIA.

This statistic raises many questions.. If Doctors Have a Hard Time Recognizing This Condition, What Can You Expect from Their Patients

Stroke Association Confirms TIA Is Really Difficult to Diagnose. This condition can " Doctors say that in this case they have to rely mainly on what patients tell themselves, so they lack reliable information to make a diagnosis..

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Raising awareness.

There is no doubt that efforts to raise public awareness have intensified significantly in recent years, with the main focus in Western countries on the F. T - it was first launched in the United Kingdom back in 2004.

In the first 4 months of the campaign, the number of phone calls to the rescue service related to stroke increased by 55% at once. In the first 2 months of television advertising F. T, launched in 2011, the National Health Service (NHS) saw a 24% increase in these calls and 16% more stroke patients received timely care.

Since Campaign F. T was very successful in the UK and was soon approved in many other countries.. In America, ASA even launched a free mobile app for iOS and Android..

In 2011, the US Department of Health launched the MillionHearts campaign, a massive national initiative aimed at preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes in the country by 2017..

Medical News Today reported that the AHA/ASA recently released the first American stroke prevention guideline specifically for women.. This comes after a series of studies showing that some risk factors for stroke are much more common in women than in men..

The AHA/ASA also launched the Together TogethertoEndStroke campaign to educate all Americans that stroke is a preventable and treatable disease..

Of course, all these initiatives help fight stroke.. But what else can be done? Dr.

Holmes says authorities should do more research in individual communities, looking at risk factors and the most vulnerable populations..

Dr. Mark Turco, Principal Specialist at Covidien Vascular Therapies, which sponsors the End Stroke Together campaign, said: “Prevention is the best treatment, but in the event of a stroke, emergency care, prompt diagnosis, and proper treatment have a huge impact on outcome.. If you are at risk or spend a lot of time with such a person, educate yourself and learn more about the main signs of a stroke..

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