Did you have a STROKE? - F.A.S.T. Explained - Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

Sometimes a medical emergency requires immediate action. During these times wasting several minutes can be the difference between life and death.
This makes it very important that you are able to recognize the symptoms and know how to act.
In this video we will cover all the information you need to know regarding a stroke. So make sure to watch the whole video so you don’t miss any important information.

This video is part of a videoseries on cardiovascular diseases and treatments. Find the playlists here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaG3Bo3L0gX4RW4KCNLMonBoVENz-SKM_

What is a stroke?
Like all organs, the brain needs oxygen and nutrients to remain functioning. Both are present in your blood, which is supplied to the brain by the carotid and vertebral arteries. Here it is important to mention that brain cells are very fragile and can’t withstand long periods without oxygen or nutrients. To make matters even worse most types of brain cells can’t be replicated.
So if the supply of blood to the brain is restricted or stopped, brain cells will begin to die. This can lead to brain injury, disability and possibly death. This is in medical terms this is called a stroke.

What is F.A.S.T.?
The F stands for Face. As the stroke might interfere with your brain’s ability to control your facial muscles. Therefore it might cause your face to drop on 1 side. Where you may not be able to smile or open your eyelids.
The A in FAST stands for arms. The stroke might also affect the part of your brain that normally is involved in the voluntary movement of muscles. This causes an inability to lift both arms up, sometimes in combination with weakness and numbness in an arm.
The S stands for speech, as it might be slurred, hard to understand or a person might not be able to speak at all. In addition a stroke could also interfere with someone's ability to understand words.
Lastly, the T stands for Time. As mentioned brain cells are very fragile and can’t withstand prolonged periods without blood supply. Therefore 911 or an emergency line should be contacted immediately if you see any of these symptoms!

How could the blood supply to your brain be restricted?
This is usually a process which is years in the making. Over the years your body can buildup plaques of fat, cholesterols and other substances in the arteries. Which in medical terms is called Atherosclerosis. If these plaques become big enough, they can block the entire blood flow of a blood vessel. In addition these plaques and the blood vessels can sometimes rupture and form a blot, which can then block the blood flow.

Risk Factors:
The most impactful risk factors are: a high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart rhythm problems, diabetes, smoking, birth control pills, previous strokes/TIA’s, a high red blood cell count, lack of exercise, obesity, excessive alcohol use, illegal drugs, age above 55, being a man, genetics and living in a location with extreme temperatures.

The good news however, is that some of these risk factors can be prevented or decreased. The magic word here, is life style! So stop smoking, limit your alcohol consumption, exercise at least 150 minutes each week, consume a balanced diet (with low levels of saturated fat, salt and sugar. Eat plenty of fibers, fruit and vegetables), maintain an healthy weight, have a structured sleeping schedule (7-9 hours of sleep each night) and decrease stress (by maintaining social contacts, doing fun activities and relaxing).

- Disclaimer: this video and the comments are meant purely informational! This is not medical advice! If you are looking for medical advice always contact your own doctor. -

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Literature:
1: Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2022). Risk Factors for Stroke.
2: Mayo clinic staff. (2022). Stroke. Mayo clinic
3: NHS. (2019). Stroke.

* The images in this video are used for educational purposes only. Most of the images and video material in this video come from https://www.canva.com/.

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Видео Did you have a STROKE? - F.A.S.T. Explained - Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention канала HOW TO MEDICATE