Stroke Awareness

Hear from stroke survivors

Meet Katherine Wolf, a stroke survivor who suffered from a catastrophic stroke when she was just 26 years old, and was later found to have a 2nd aneurysm requiring treatment. Continuing in her recovery to this day, Katherine has used her second-chance life to advocate for those affected by disability and challenges us all to embrace our own good/hard story.

What is a stroke?

In order to know how to treat a stroke, we must first understand what exactly a stroke is. A stroke occurs when blood flow is either blocked (ischaemic stroke) or an artery bursts (hemorrhagic stroke). When this happens, the brain doesn’t get the blood it needs to function properly. Depending on the severity of the stroke and the area of the brain affected, loss of brain function or death may occur. Motor function, speech and memory are examples of bodily functions that may be impacted.

When someone is having a stroke and time stands still, you need to act fast. Quick action and emergency medical intervention can make a big difference for the patient.

Stroke facts

1 in 4 people will suffer a stroke in their lifetime

Stroke is the second leading cause of death globally

Stroke is the leading cause of disability around the world

Stroke is responsible for more global deaths annually than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined

Symptoms of a stroke

Stroke is an emergency. Learn to recognise the signs of stroke. B.E. F.A.S.T. and help save lives.

Any one of these signs may indicate an acute ischaemic stroke. If the person exhibits one or more of these signs, call Emergency Services immediately.

Balance

Is the person experiencing sudden loss of balance or dizziness?

Eyes

Is the person experiencing vision loss or blurriness?

Face

Can the person smile, has their mouth drooped?

Arm

Can the person raise both arms?

Speech

Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?

Time

Call emergency services immediately.

What are the risk factors of a stroke?

There are 10 major risk factors that contribute to about 90% of strokes.
Both men and women of any age have the potential to be at risk.
Many of these potential risk factors are preventable.

These risk factors include the following:

High blood pressure

Lack of physical activity

Diet

Smoking

Alcohol consumption

Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)

Sleep apnea

Obesity

High cholesterol

Diabetes mellitus

Stroke is treatable

Stroke generally happens suddenly. When it does, medical care needs to be administered as quickly as possible. It’s not only important to recognise the signs and symptoms of stroke, but to also know the available treatment options and hospitals that have the capacity to perform life-saving procedures.

The three methods of treating stroke are medical management, endovascular treatment, or surgical intervention, which is the most invasive. The physician will determine the best course of treatment depending on the type of stroke, the patient’s risk factors, the severity of the stroke and other risk factors.