Conditions of the heart are some of the most common and potentially fatal medical issues that a person can have. On average, a person has a heart attack every 43 seconds in the United States (about 735,000 people suffered a heart attack last year), and heart disease is the biggest killer in both men and women. Another very serious and particularly surprising heart condition is having a stroke.

If you’ve ever suffered a stroke you know how scary they can be. That’s why proper stroke awareness is so important for people regardless of age and current health status, you never know when you’ll need health services to treat one. Here are three stroke awareness tips to remember in case you or someone you know ever becomes a stroke patient.

1. Bodily Weakness: The first and most obvious signs of a stroke to be aware of is of course weakness in particular parts of the body, especially face and arms. Most people are familiar with this phenomenon, which is why organizations like the Stroke Association, the American Stroke Association, the National Stroke Association (US), and others suggest the FACE test. This stands for face, arms, speech, and time. If a person is visibly struggling with any of these areas it’s a big red flag that a stroke could be happening.
2. Certain Areas of Brain Affected: Not all stroke are the same. Stroke awareness for when it affects central nervous system pathways of the spinothalamic tract, corticospinal tract, and dorsal column have unique symptoms of their own. These can include, numbness, spasticity, excessive reflexes, and obligatory synergies.
3. Hemorrhagic Stroke: A Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a weakened blood vessel ruptures. Due to the increased intracranial pressure from the leaking blood compressing the brain, there are certain stroke awareness tips for this conditions. They include, headaches, loss of consciousness, and even vomiting.

Strokes are potentially fatal conditions that can happen to anyone, not just the elderly or even people with previous heart conditions. Keep these things in mind. Hopefully you’ll never need to know them, but in the event you do it might just save a life.

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