Health officials are raising awareness during Survive Stroke Week
Recent studies show stroke ranked as the 4th leading cause of death for Hispanic men and the 3rd for Hispanic women. Bethany Girtler, Stroke Program Manager at Emplify Health, says, 'Stroke is a medical emergency. A lot of times, what I see, not specifically in our area but across the United States, is that there's less access to healthcare, there's less access to resources. And maybe some of the stroke information is not put out there in a way that they can read it, understand it.'
Despite the urgent nature of stroke, a CDC report showed just 58% of Hispanic adults could identify symptoms of a stroke compared to other demographics. Dr. Dabus says, 'We don't have data to explain (exactly) why that happens, we just know that since 2013, the incidents of stroke, meaning the number of Hispanics that suffer stroke every year, is actually increasing.'
Furthermore, while some say stroke is preventable, it can still happen to people at any age. Dr. Dabus explains, 'Taking care of blood pressure, making sure diabetes are under control, make sure cholesterol is under control. Not smoking, exercising, have a healthier lifestyle. Even if you do everything correctly, a stroke may still happen. So, it's important that people understand that if you're having a stroke or any sign that you may be having a stroke, you need to contact emergency services. Call 11 or have a loved one call 911.'
Girtler adds, 'So, regardless if your symptoms are very small, sometimes people could just have a facial droop, other people can have symptoms that affect weakness on like an entire side of their body, their ability to talk.' The goal of Survive Stroke Week is to give an important reminder that stroke can be treated and everyone should seek medical help. No matter the severity.
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