Disability/Illness Description:
A stroke or a cerebral vascular accident (CVA)occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or severely reduced. The brain tissue can’t get oxygen and nutrients. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die.
WARNING SIGNS:
B – Balance
The person may suddenly have trouble with balance or coordination.
E – Eyes
They could experience sudden blurred, double or total loss of vision. This can happen in one or both eyes.
F – Face
Do you notice one side of their face drooping? Ask the person to smile.
A – Arms
Are they experiencing weakness in one arm? If they raise both arms, does one drift down?
S – Speech
Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a short sentence like, “Remember the Alamo.” Do they repeat the sentence correctly?
T – Time to get help
If you notice any of these symptoms, call 911 and get the person to a hospital immediately.
Associations/Groups:
American Stroke Association (ASA)
Division of American Heart Association
7272 Greenville Avenue
Dallas, TX 75231
Phone: 781-373-4500
Toll Free: 888 478-7653
Free subscription magazine “Stroke Connection”
Children’s Hemiplegia and Stroke Association (CHASA)
Support and Information for families of children who have hemiplegia, hemiparesis, and/or pediatric stroke.
4101 West Green Oaks Suite 305, PMB 149
Arlington, TX 76016
Contact Form
Massachusetts Health Promotion Clearinghouse
Provides free health promotion materials for Massachusetts residents and health and social service providers on various
health topics including Heart Disease & Stroke
Phone: 617-830-5590 (Toll-Free tri-lingual phone line – accessible in English, Spanish or Portuguese)
Email: clearinghouse@hria.org
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Patient and caregiver information, brain basics, and fact sheets.
PO Box 5801
Bethesda, MD 20824
Toll Free: 800 352-9424
Massachusetts Stroke Support Groups
Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts has a listing of stroke, aneurism, and TBI groups
Email: ccardeli@biama.org
Stroke Patient Information
Boston Medical Center
Stroke Support Groups
Spaulding Rehabilitation has stroke support groups in Boston and Sandwich.
Other Information:
The way a person acts, looks and feels immediately following a stroke does not show the person will act, look or feel later. Loss of speech does not mean loss of mind. It means that the part of the brain controlling speech has been damaged by stroke. Inability to speak following stroke does not mean a person is unable to understand. Eyeglasses cannot usually correct visual problems that come with stroke. A person who has had a stroke may tire easily, show anger suddenly, or feel depressed at times. The person may cry or laugh unexpectedly, and may be unable to remember well or to pay attention very long.
Act FAST
FAST is an easy way to remember and identify the most common symptoms of a stroke. Recognition of stroke and calling 9-1-1 will determine how quickly someone will receive help and treatment. Getting to a hospital rapidly will more likely lead to a better recovery.
Types of Stroke
Information from the Centers for Disease Control. The type of stroke you have affects your treatment and recovery.
The three main types of stroke are:
- Ischemic stroke
- Hemorrhagic stroke
- Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a warning or “mini-stroke”
Fact Sheet last updated on: 8/30/2024
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