Coliseum Medical Centers host stroke prevention lunch and learn

“My face was dropped on one side, and I couldn’t close my eye on that side,” recalled Janie Lowe.

Lowe says she had no idea she was having a stroke.

“By the time I got to the hospital I was starting to talk like it was a frog in my throat,” she added.

That was in 1998. The 67-year-old also recalls suffering from high blood pressure. Lowe’s doctors told her that is one of the leading causes of stroke.

“It only takes one day to go between your blood pressure being fine and your blood pressure causing a stroke,” she added. “So I’ve learned.”

Coliseum Medical Centers’ Lunch and Learn Stroke Seminar featured Emergency Department Director Dr. Nicole Jasper. Dr. Jasper told attendees high blood pressure is also linked to obesity.

“Fifty percent of all adults in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi are at least 25 pounds over weight,” explained Dr. Jasper. “The major risk for strokes in general are high blood pressure, increased cholesterol, diabetes and being overweight.”

Coliseum Medical Centers Neurologist Dr. Lori McIntosh told the group to use the F.A.S.T. acronym.

• ‘F’ is for face, look for drooping.
• ‘A’ is for arms, see if you can lift both arms
• ‘S’ is for speech, look for slurred speech
• ‘T’ is for time, get to the emergency room as fast as possible.

Dr. McIntosh added getting medical attention will help some stroke sufferers can live normal lives.

“All these individuals can go back to their homes, can go to their churches, go to their communities and hopefully educate more people and then we can have better outcomes of strokes,” explained Dr. McIntosh.

Doctors also encourage residents to get their blood pressure checked regularly. They say that will also help prevent strokes.