Sunday, Sept. 9, Centegra Health System joins the Midwest Stroke Action Alliance and Chicago White Sox for Strike Out Stroke, an afternoon of baseball and stroke awareness activities at U.S. Cellular Field. The game begins at 1:10 PM. Purchase tickets today at www.whitesox.com/strikeoutstroke.
Local stroke survivors of all ages will be honored. Fans will hear first-hand how each has been impacted by the third leading cause of death and why they choose to raise awareness through their personal experiences.
A stroke is a brain attack that occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery or a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. It is also up to 80 percent preventable. The first step to prevention is identifying if you have any controllable and uncontrollable risk factors and begin to manage them. Stroke is an emergency. Treatment may be available if a person reaches the hospital in time. Recognizing warning signs can be easy if you remember to think FAST:
F: Face Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
A: Arms Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S: Speech Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Does the speech sound slurred or strange?
T: Time If you observe any of these signs, then it’s time to call 9-1-1.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds. Every four minutes someone dies of stroke. In addition, stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability and a leading cause of death in the United States.People of all ages and backgrounds can have a stroke.
A stroke is also called a brain attack and occurs when a clot blocks the blood supply to the brain (ischemic) or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts (hemorrhagic), according to Sarah A. Vela, chest pain and stroke coordinator at Centegra Health System. When a stroke occurs, the blood supply to the brain is blocked or significantly decreased. The cells in the brain begin dying immediately.
Vela said signs and symptoms of a stroke include the following:
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body-facial droop or uneven smile
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking (slurred speech) or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
Vela said it’s also important to make note of the time the symptoms began since treatment is time sensitive. Initial testing in a Centegra hospital emergency department will include an immediate CT scan of the brain, also known as a specialized x-ray of the brain; a neurological examination; intravenous access and blood tests.
Risk factors related to stroke are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, smoking, heavy alcohol use, physical inactivity and obesity, atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) and a family history of stroke.
Check the risk of stroke by getting a vascular screening for $129 on Centegra Wellness on the Move mobile health unit. Call 877-CENTEGRA (877-236-8347) for dates, locations and to register.
Centegra Hospital-McHenry and Centegra Hospital-Woodstock have both received Chest Pain Center Accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC), an international organization dedicated to eliminating heart disease as the No. 1 cause of death. Both hospitals are the first in the northern Illinois region to receive one of the most advanced levels of chest pain accreditations. This advanced accreditation makes Centegra’s hospitals two of only 13 in Illinois to earn this level of distinction.
In addition, Centegra Hospital-McHenry and Centegra Hospital-Woodstock have both received The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for their primary stroke centers and heart failure programs.
Centegra Health System is committed to meeting the health care needs of the residents of greater McHenry County and to making services available in multiple and convenient locations, including hospitals in McHenry and Woodstock, Immediate and Physician Care Centers, Centegra Sage Cancer Center, Health Bridge Fitness Centers and more. As the region’s leading health care provider, Centegra Health System continues to bring the latest treatments and technology, along with the skills of nearly 4,000 medical professionals, to meet the needs of the growing McHenry County community. For more information on Centegra Health System visit Facebook and Twitter or call 877-CENTEGRA (877-236-8347).
