Almost 50 percent of people who suffer a stroke will not be able to live independently or care for themselves on a daily basis.
However, 80 percent of strokes are preventable if people know they are at risk and make adjustments to their lifestyle.
As part of National Stroke Awareness Month, Accolade Home Care nurses and employees provided health screenings at Graceland Assisted Living in Garden Ridge on Friday.
According to strokecenter.org, most strokes are caused by an abrupt blockage of arteries leading to the brain (ischemic stroke) or by bleeding into brain tissue when a blood vessel bursts (hemorrhagic stroke).
When this occurs, brain cells that control speech and movement are permanently damaged causing a person who suffers a stroke to temporarily lose verbal and motor skills.
During Friday’s screenings, registered nurses checked blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and informed participants whether their results put them at risk for stroke and other health complications.
“People with high cholesterol tend to be at a higher risk for strokes because it causes damage to blood vessels,” said Jane Buchanan, a registered nurse with Accolade Home Care. “It blocks the veins and arteries and can cause decreased blood supply to the brain.”
Buchanan said eating a low-fat diet, staying active and seeing a doctor regularly could prevent high cholesterol and lower the risk of having a stroke.
High blood pressure is also another contributing factor to strokes.
“When you have high blood pressure or any kind of blood disorder, your heart isn’t functioning properly,” Buchanan said. “Your heart and blood vessels stress once again, causing a decreased blood supply to the brain.”
Buchanan said while strokes usually occur quickly and without warning, it is important for everyone to live a healthy lifestyle and lower the risk of having a stroke.
“I wasn’t very good about taking care of myself in my 20s, but that’s when people should really be taking care of themselves,” Buchanan said. “If you start when you’re young, your quality of life will be much better when you get older.”
Carla Green, a registered nurse and director of Accolade Home Care, said free health screenings like theirs are beneficial to everyone.
“For those who don’t see a doctor on a routine basis, the screenings provide information about their health they might not know about,” Green said. “If someone does have high cholesterol or blood pressure we give them the numbers and they can take it to their doctor for further evaluation. We want people to know that fixing health problems early can prevent stroke and many other complications.”
STROKE SCREENINGS HealthYes!, a health screening company based in Austin, will be proving free stroke screenings during this month as part of National Stroke Awareness Month. Below are the screenings in our area: n May 27 — CRRC Building, 1917 Farm-to-Market 2673, Canyon Lake, TX 78133 n May 29 — Schertz Civic Center, 1400 Schertz Parkway, Building #5, Schertz, TX 78154
