Did you know that someone in America has a stroke every 40 seconds? That translates into nearly 800,000 people each year. And of that number, someone dies of a stroke every four minutes.

What causes a stroke?

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain "clogs" up, depriving brain tissue of the blood and nutrients it needs. The result is that thousands of brain cells begin to die almost immediately, which in turn affects motor skills, coordination, speech and comprehension.

What are signs of a stroke?

Symptoms of a stroke include:

• Sudden onset weakness and/or numbness in one side of the body
• Difficulty speaking or comprehending others
• Slurred speech
• Facial droop
• Difficulty with vision
• Imbalance
• Severe headache

What do you do if someone if having a stroke?

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain "clogs" up, depriving brain tissue of blood and nutrients it needs. The result is that thousands of brain cells begin to die almost immediately and that affects motor skills, coordination, speech and comprehension. It is extremely important that someone who is showing signs of stroke remembers the acronym BE-FAST to lower the risk of death or disability:

• B is for balance – Is the person unable to maintain proper balance?
• E is for eyes – Is the vision affected? Are the eyes deviated to one side?
• F is for face – Is your face drooping?
• A is for arms – Can you lift both arms?
• S is for speech – Are you slurring your words?
• T is for time – Call 911 immediately.

Remember: “Time is brain.'' Anyone who has signs or symptoms of a stroke needs immediate medical attention in an emergency department because early treatment can reduce the brain damage that results from a stroke. This can improve short-term and long-term outcomes.