May is National Stroke Awareness Month. Learn how to manage your risk of a stroke with these resources.
Our nationally-recognized stroke team at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center provides rapid, high-level diagnosis and care at any hour. As a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center, we’re certified by national leaders for meeting advanced standards of stroke care. The center is part of the Providence Spokane Neuroscience Institute, a comprehensive, integrated neuroscience program that treats conditions of the brain and spine. Learn more about our stroke program.
Regular checkups, exercise, nutrition and a healthy lifestyle – including knowing and managing risk factors – can help prevent or limit the damage of a stroke. To prevent or limit the damage of stroke, call 911 if you see symptoms of stroke.
Symptoms of stroke start suddenly and include:
- Confusion or difficulty understanding others
- Difficulty speaking
- Dizziness
- Severe headache
- Trouble walking, loss of balance or coordination
- Vision problems in one or both eyes
- Weakness or numbness in your face, arm or leg, often on just one side
Risk factors for stroke include:
- Hypertension
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- Diet
- Physical inactivity
- Obesity
- High cholesterol
- Carotid Artery Disease
- Heart disease
- Peripheral artery disease
- Sickle Cell anemia
- Prior stroke or TIA
Learn more about stroke risk factors by visiting stroke.org.
Stroke is a symptom of vascular or blood vessel disease. Most strokes are due to a build-up of plaque in your blood vessels. To reduce plaque build-up:
- Exercise
- If you are diabetic, control blood glucose levels
- If you smoke, quit
- Manage cholesterol levels
- Manage weight
- Monitor blood pressure regularly and treat high blood pressure
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