Am I At Risk For Stroke? Signs and Symptoms

Thu, 04/17/2014 - 6:30am

May is National Stroke Awareness Month

Did you know that stroke is the number four cause of death in this country and the leading cause of adult disability? As part of National Stroke Awareness Month, Pen Bay Healthcare's Stroke Center will present a free educational program on Thursday, May 8, from 6:30 – 8 p.m. at the Picker Family Resource Center. This presentation by Stroke Program coordinator Eileen Hawkins, RN, MSN, CNRN, will cover warning signs and risk factors for stroke, as well as different kinds of stroke, current treatments and what you can do to prevent stroke from happening. Please call to register at 596-8950.

Stroke claims more than 137,000 lives each year and accounts for one of every 18 deaths in this country. Stroke warning signs can be subtle and may include:

sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body;sudden confusion, trouble speaking 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.

Missing the warning signs of stroke may put you in danger in a matter of minutes. If you witness someone having any of these warning signs or experience any of these warning signs yourself, call 911 immediately. Stroke is a medical emergency. Treatments are available for the most common type of stroke when a person seeks immediate medical attention. You may be able to save a life or prevent long-term disability.

The Primary Stroke Center at Pen Bay Medical Center is one of four certified Primary Care Stroke Centers in Maine. It uses a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to collaborative treatment and healing with a patient-centered focus on stroke detection and management, from emergency medical services through rehabilitation. Learn more about the Primary Stroke Center at penbayhealthcare.org/centers.

The Picker Family Resource Center on the Pen Bay Medical Center campus is located between the Women's Health Center and Urology Building, 3 Glen Cove Drive, off Route 1 in Rockport. Use the parking lot and door nearest the Urology side of the building. Call 596-8950 for directions if needed.

Eileen Hawkins is coordinator of the Stroke Program at Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport. Pen Bay is a certified Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center. This certification of distinction is awarded to hospitals that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke.

Pen Bay Healthcare

Pen Bay Healthcare is a not-for-profit family of services which includes Pen Bay Medical Center, a Leapfrog Group 2012 National Top Hospital and the largest community hospital in Midcoast Maine, as well as Pen Bay Physicians & Associates, Kno-Wal-Lin Home Care and Hospice, Quarry Hill Retirement Community and the Knox Center for Long Term Care. Through these organizations, and with a staff of more than 100 outstanding physicians and more than 1,500 healthcare professionals, we are able to provide the people of Midcoast Maine with a continuum of both routine and specialty patient-centered medical services. Pen Bay Healthcare is a member of the MaineHealth system. For more information, please visit penbayhealthcare.org.