May is National Stroke Awareness Month

Spalding Regional Offering FREE Stroke Risk Assessment 

GRIFFIN, GA. – May 18, 2010 –  About 795,000 Americans will suffer a stroke this year, yet most Americans cannot identify stroke symptoms or risk factors.  Many strokes – some studies indicate that up to 80 percent – can be prevented through risk factor management. 

There is no doubt that more education about stroke is needed. Some believe that public awareness of symptoms and risk factors has not improved during the past five years, but this May is a time to change this startling statistic. National Stroke Awareness Month takes place in May every year. In honor of this special time, Spalding Regional Medical Center is taking a lead from National Stroke Association and striving to educate our public to stop stroke by reducing their risk through risk factor management, to act “F.A.S.T.” upon stroke symptom recognition and spread hope about recovery from stroke.

                        F = FACE       Ask the person to smile.  Does one side of the face droop?

                        A = ARM        Ask the person to raise both arms.  Does one arm drift downward?

                        S = SPEECH  Does the person’s speech sound slurred or strange?

                        T = TIME        If you observe any of these symptoms, it’s time to call 911.

The public is invited to attend, be tested including FREE personalized stroke risk assessments, B/P checks, cholesterol screening, glucose screening, and body fat analysis and learn more about this disease and how to recognize the symptoms and respond.

                        Tuesday May 25, 2010

                        4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

                        Spalding Regional Medical Center, Women’s Center Entrance