According to the National Stroke Association, the most common myths about stroke include:
Myth: Stroke is unpreventable
Fact: Stroke is largely preventable
Myth: Stroke cannot be treated
Fact: Stroke requires emergency treatment
Myth: Stroke only strikes the elderly
Fact: Stroke can happen to anyone at any age
Myth: Stroke happens to the heart
Fact: Stroke is a “brain attack”
Myth: Stroke recovery takes only a few months
Fact: Stroke recovery continues for the rest of your life
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To learn more about stroke, watch this short video
Immediate treatment for stroke is critical for saving lives and limiting disability. In fact, patients who receive treatment within three hours of their first symptoms have a far better outcome than those who delay treatment by only a few hours more.
If you or someone else shows any the following sudden signs of stroke, call 911 immediately:
- Numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg – particularly on one side of the body
- Confusion, or trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden severe headache
- Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Dizziness, loss of balance, or trouble walking
This article first appeared in the October 2013 edition of the HealthPerks newsletter.
