NEWS & INSIGHTS

June is Stroke Awareness Month

Jun 1 / 2019 | Heart Health

Did you know a stroke can happen at any age, and more commonly affects women? According to Heart & Stroke Foundation:

  • The risk of stroke is higher during pregnancy.
  • The risk of stroke increases during menopause.
  • Elderly women are especially vulnerable to both the likelihood and severity of a stroke.

Knowing the FAST signs (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) of a stroke is important because the faster you receive medical attention, the better their chance of minimizing damage to your health:

  • F: Face drooping – Ask the person to smile and see if one side is drooping.
  • A: Arm weakness – Ask the person to raise both arms.
  • S: Speech difficulty – People having a stroke may slur their speech or have trouble speaking at all.
  • T: Time to call 911!

Most strokes are caused by an abrupt blockage of blood flow in the arteries leading to the brain (ischemic stroke). Other strokes are caused by bleeding into brain tissue when a blood vessel bursts (hemorrhagic stroke).

At MyHealth Centre, our diagnostic stroke tests include:

  • Cardiology Consultation
  • Echocardiogram
  • Myocardial Perfusion Imaging
  • PET/CT Scan
  • Vascular Ultrasound

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