Public Health England has today (Thursday) re-launched the Act F.A.S.T. stroke campaign in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to remind the public to call 999 if they notice even one of the signs of a stroke in themselves, or in others.
Figures show there are over 3,600 people on the Isle of Wight who have had a stroke and in 2016/2017 some 98 died as a result of a stroke. It is estimated that around 30% of people who have a stroke will experience another.
Awareness is crucial, so the campaign reaches out to people of all ages to highlight the risk of stroke and reiterates the signs and how vital it is that people call 999 and get to hospital as soon as possible. Around 1.9 million nerve cells in the brain are lost every minute that a stroke is left untreated, which can result in slurred speech and paralysis. If left untreated, a stroke can result in permanent disability or death.
• Face – has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile?
• Arms – can they raise both their arms and keep them there?
• Speech – is their speech slurred?
• Time – time to call 999
Stroke is the third most common cause of premature death and a leading cause of disability in the UK, however, deaths related to stroke have declined by 49% in the past 15 years. This has been accredited to a combination of better prevention, earlier treatment and more advanced treatment.
While the majority (59%) of strokes occur in the older generation, PHE’s figures show that over a third (38%) of first time strokes happen in middle aged adults (between the ages of 40 – 69). More first time strokes are now occurring at an earlier age compared to a decade ago. The average age for males having a stroke fell from 71 to 68 years and for females, 75 to 73 years between 2007 and 2016.
Dr Mohit Sharma, Consultant for Public Health England in the South East, said:
“Speed saves lives when it comes to strokes – the more people we can make aware of the symptoms the better.
Article continues below this advertisement “More than 5,000 died from stroke across the South East region in 2016, and who knows how many of these lives could have been saved had people around them been able to spot symptoms quicker.
“It is not just about saving lives though – acting as soon as you see a single sign of a stroke means you can get treatment earlier and limits the long-term effects of these potentially catastrophic attacks.”
The F.A.S.T. (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) acronym has featured in the advertising for a number of years and is a simple test to help people identify the most common signs of a stroke.
