PANAMA CITY — Oct. 29 was World Stroke Day, and Ascension Sacred Heart Bay has some advice for people who may or may not have suffered a stroke.
A stroke is a medical emergency in which the brain is not able to get the oxygen and nutrients it needs to survive.
During an interview on Oct. 29, Dr. Muhammad Zaman Khan spoke about World Stroke Day, what people can do to prevent a stroke, and how strokes are affecting our community.
“In comparison to years past, we have had an increase in the number of strokes,” Khan said. “Our patient (total) was about 450 a couple of years ago. Now, we will probably have close to 900 strokes this year.”
Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and third leading cause for women.
According to an Ascension Sacred Heart document, the following can cause individuals to have a stroke:
”When emergency stroke patients arrive at the hospital, we take them to the CT scan,” Khan said. “The CT scan helps us identify what type of stroke it is. The quicker we work, the better.”
Some signs and symptoms of stroke include numbness, confusion, trouble seeing, trouble walking, and severe headache.
”Prevention is always better than treatment,” Khan said. “I would advise people to exercise more, watch your sugars, and manage any accessible risk factors.”
Ascension Sacred Heart Bay hospital is located at 615 N. Bonita Ave. If anyone has a stroke emergency, they should call 911 immediately.
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Ascension Sacred Heart Bay hospital marks World Stroke Day
Reporting by DeonTay Smith, Panama City News Herald / The News Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
