The F.A.S.T test is an easy reminder of the common signs of stroke.
For National Stroke Week this 5th to 11th of August, the Stroke Foundation are encouraging Australians to familiarise themselves with the F.A.S.T acronym.
F for face, is it drooping? A for arms, can you lift both arms? S for speech, is it slurred? T for time, it is crucial to call an ambulance straight away.
Reacting quickly, and actively engaging in rehabilitation treatment, is crucial for stroke survivors. The Sydney Adventist Hospital (the San) and the Royal North Shore Hospital have recently been recognised for their standard of stroke care and certified by the Australian Stroke Coalition.
Dr Naomi Halls, Clinical Psychological and McMahons Point local, survived an ischaemic stroke in January 2017 while abroad in the United Kingdom.
‘I woke up in the middle of the night and had completely lost my speech. I was rushed to hospital,’ recounts Naomi. ‘I was what is considered a young stroke, I was only fifty. Great health, I had none of the indicators.’
A dissection of the carotid artery produced a blood clot that travelled into the left side of her parietal lobe, wiping out the language part of her brain. Two days later, another clot lodged deeper in her brain and Naomi suffered a second ischemic stroke, resulting in the loss of movement in her right side.
Coming back to Australia in May 2017, Naomi was scheduled to have a stint put into her unhealed carotid artery, during which another blood clot was shot into her cerebral artery. The interventionist neuro radiologist retrieved the clot, but in the process caused a subarachnoid haemorrhage.
‘I am forever immensely grateful to the [interventionist neuro] radiologist, the neurosurgeon, and the amazing staff at Macquarie University Hospital,’ says Naomi.
Naomi spent five weeks in the ICU. After, she committed herself to regaining her speech and movement. ‘You’ve got to start rehab as soon as possible,’ explains Naomi. ‘If you don’t start rehab, cell death moves from the place of the stroke. You want to contain the area and rewire the brain. It is called neuroplasticity.’
According to the Stroke Foundation, 80% of strokes are preventable. Eating well, staying active, avoiding alcohol and smoking will reduce the likelihood of stroke. Though, over 9,000 New South Wales residents will experience stroke for the first time this year.
Stroke advocacy is more vital than ever, as rates of stroke in young people are increasing. Recent research from Bangor University in the UK suggests that sexual strangulation is causing strokes in young women.
‘Young people, under the age of 40, are having more strokes,’ says Naomi, urging people to learn the F.A.S.T acronym and save lives.
For more information, visit strokefoundation.org.au
