10 things you should know about stroke
1. Every five minutes someone in the UK has a stroke.
2. A stroke is a brain attack. A stroke happens due to a clot or bleed in the brain, which causes brain cells to die.
3. The signs of a stroke are:
• Facial weakness
• Arm or leg weakness
• Speech problems
• A loss to half of the visual field
These signs may only last a few hours (called a Transient Ischaemic Attack - TIA) but must not be ignored.
4. A stroke is an emergency. If you see the signs of a stroke act FAST and call 999. Early treatment saves lives and increases the chance of making a better recovery.
5. Stroke is the third biggest killer and a leading cause of severe adult disability in the UK.
6. Almost one in four men and one in five women aged 45 can expect to have a stroke if they live to 85.
7. More than three times as many women die from stroke than breast cancer in the UK.
8. Unacceptable inadequacies in stroke care and research exist. For every £50 spent on cancer research and £20 on heart disease research, only £1 is spent on stroke research.
9. Eating healthily, taking more exercise, not smoking and ensuring blood pressure is normal, can all help to prevent stroke
10. The Stroke Association is the only national charity solely concerned with helping everyone affected by stroke. We are working to create a world where there are fewer strokes and all those touched by stroke get the help they need.
