Latest news with #StrokeAwarenessMonth
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Via Christi: Brain imaging technology could extend stroke treatment window
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — May is Stroke Awareness Month, an opportunity to highlight the risk factors and preventive measures. Many are familiar with F.A.S.T., which shows that the warning signs of face drooping, arm weakness, and speech difficulty mean it's time to call 911. But what happens after recognizing the signs can also be key to recovery. Researchers at Via Christi are working to break through a 'four and a half' hour window for treatment. Traditionally, clot busters are administered within that window, and after that, doctors focus on supportive measures for patient care. Stroke Awareness Month: Recognizing stroke symptoms can help save lives Via Christi is collaborating with Wichita State University to potentially treat patients beyond the current window of opportunity using brain imaging technology. 'Patients who have had a stroke, well actually if they decide to participate in the study, we can look at whether or not some of the brain flow that we see during therapy can help us move that patient faster in the rehabilitation,' Tony Sadler, a certified physician assistant at Via Christi Research, said. She also says it's essential to be fast in response to a stroke, as thousands of brain cells are dying during a stroke. You can learn more about the signs of stroke and how to take steps to prevent one at an event this weekend. Via Christi is hosting a free seminar at the Evergreen Community Center and Library from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a heart-healthy lunch included. There will be resources available in both English and Spanish. Call 316-303-8042 to reserve your seat. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
CHRISTUS highlights speech therapy for communication disorders
TEXARKANA, Texas (KTAL/KMSS) – For National Speech-Language and Hearing Month in May, CHRISTUS Health is raising awareness of communication disorders that affect people of all ages. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are crucial in diagnosing and treating speech and language difficulties, which include swallowing disorders and cognitive and social communication problems. CHRISTUS Health highlights importance of physical activity and sports participation 'Any unusual behavior that is outside of a person's normal pattern could be a sign of something more serious,' said Linda Hampton, rehabilitation manager and speech-language pathologist at CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System. 'Watch for signs like slurred speech, misused words, or trouble recalling everyday terms—such as calling a cup a spoon or forgetting the name of a loved one.' Communication disorders can appear at birth or develop later in life due to conditions such as strokes, Parkinson's disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These disorders can impact speech, language, and hearing, greatly impacting effective communication. SLPs help improve patients' speech, comprehension of language, and communication with others. SLPs work with each patient to formulate therapy plans based on their personal requirements and objectives. Treatment can include practicing sounds, using advanced communication methods, or improving memory and thinking abilities. Signs of Stroke: what to know for Stroke Awareness Month 'The goal is to help patients feel more confident, become more independent, and enjoy a better quality of life,' Hampton said. 'Whether it's helping a child say their first words or supporting someone learning to speak again after a stroke, we play a very important part in their recovery journey.' Timely assistance and routine therapy can also greatly boost recovery and long-term results. Patients and caretakers are urged to talk with their primary care provider about being referred to an SLP if they observe altered speech, memory, or swallowing. For more information about speech therapy or to find a primary care physician, go to Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Health experts: Women have a higher risk of stroke
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – May is Stroke Awareness Month, and while many of us relate strokes to older individuals, usually men, leaders at Ascension Via Christi say that women are actually at a higher risk of getting a stroke, saying 55,000 more women die from stroke every year than men. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says one in five women in the U.S. between the ages of 55 and 75 will have a stroke. The CDC also says many women do not know their risk of having a stroke. 'Women are the caregivers of everyone. And so sometimes their needs. Maybe go kind of on the back burner or are forgotten because they're too busy caring for everybody else,' Angie Von Feldt, the director of the stroke program at Via Christ. But Von Feldt says a delay in caring for themselves can cost women their lives. She also says one of the risk factors for women is high blood pressure. 'Women especially, they have these instances of having higher blood pressure that are related to pregnancy or maybe with their hormones or being on birth control. So those factors can actually contribute and make their risk of stroke a lot higher,' she said. Von Feldt is referring to pre-eclampsia, a condition where a pregnant woman's blood pressure gets dangerously high. 'Women that have suffered from pre-eclampsia during their pregnancy down the road, even without being pregnant, can actually have an increased risk of having stroke,' she said. Stroke Awareness Month: Recognizing stroke symptoms can help save lives Von Feldt also says having diabetes and smoking can also increase the chance of a stroke affecting your blood vessels, and that heart disease and stroke go hand in hand. 'If you're doing the things to prevent heart disease, a lot of those things will also prevent stroke. But women are at higher risk of both of those factors,' she said. Prevention is key. Von Feldt says it's all about controlling your health, monitoring your blood pressure or other health issues and living a healthy and active lifestyle. 'Sedentary lifestyle can actually increase your risk of having stroke or having heart disease,' she said. If you do see signs like sudden loss of balance, double vision, weakness of an arm or leg, or difficulty talking and especially for women, migraines or a headache like never before. Von Fedlt urges you to call 911 immeidtaley to be taken to the ER. Do not wait. 'You have to remember that literally thousands of brain cells are dying every second that a person is having a stroke and that that area of the brain is not getting oxygen,' she said. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Courier
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Courier
Stirling woman's inspirational recovery after surviving TWO strokes at the age of 30
One morning Ruth Hector woke up and noticed she couldn't move her right arm. The 39-year-old from Stirling, who was just 30 at the time, tried to get out of bed. But she ended up falling onto the floor as her right leg felt 'completely dead'. 'I was staying at my parents' house when it happened,' she explains. 'After I crashed onto the floor, I crawled to my bedroom door using my left arm and leg. 'I tried to reach up but I couldn't quite get to the door handle. 'So I had to sort of bang on the door and that's when my dad heard me. 'I tried to talk to him and explain there was something wrong with my arm. 'But I just couldn't make any words – it was just all gibberish coming out of my mouth.' Ruth had had a stroke – after a life-long heart condition caused a blood clot in her brain. She had a thrombectomy – a medical procedure to remove the clot. Ruth struggled with her mental health afterwards and then just weeks later, she had a second stroke. Today – nine years on – Ruth still needs regular physiotherapy but she has fully regained her speech and is back working. The Stirling market research interviewer is sharing her story to mark Stroke Awareness Month and she is very grateful for all the support she has received to boost her recovery. In 2016 Ruth was about to embark on a new job role as a copywriter for a company in Cornwall. This was after spending many years working as a web assistant for BBC Scotland. But she suddenly started experiencing problems with her mental health and was struggling with anxiety. So she turned the job down, left Glasgow and moved back home to live with her parents in Stirling. 'I woke up one morning and my head felt very heavy and I couldn't move my right arm,' she explains. 'My dad found me after I crashed on the floor. 'I had no idea what was happening I just thought I was having a funny turn. 'But then my mum came home from early morning swimming. 'And when she looked at me, she knew straight away something was wrong so she called an ambulance.' After she arrived at Forth Valley Hospital Ruth was assessed by a stroke specialist who decided she would benefit from having a thrombectomy. A thrombectomy is a medical procedure used to remove blood clots from arteries in the brain after a stroke. She was then immediately transferred to the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh. 'They did the thrombectomy after I was admitted,' Ruth says. 'There was this big screen where the medical team could see what was going on in my brain and I could watch it. 'I was sedated but awake the whole time – it was quite surreal.' After the procedure it took Ruth a couple of days before she could walk again and slowly she began to regain some of her speech. However, after her stroke Ruth's mental health deteriorated rapidly. 'It was like the mental health problem I had just before the stroke but this time I felt a lot worse. 'I was really depressed and started having suicidal thoughts. 'Later I discovered the stroke had been in the emotional part of my brain and I was in such a bad place I felt like I wanted to die.' Due to her incredibly fragile mental state she was admitted to the mental health unit at Forth Valley. She was given anti-depressants and started to feel better. But just as she was beginning to recover, Ruth was dealt another health blow. In October 2016, while she was still a patient in the unit, Ruth noticed her right arm was feeling strange again. 'It wasn't as bad as the first stroke because I could still walk but my right side went all weak,' she recalls. 'I went to the reception area to tell someone what was happening, but I couldn't speak. 'I tried to say I've had another stroke but the only word I could say was 'stroke'.' After realising she'd had a stroke, staff re-located Ruth from the mental health unit to the stroke ward in the hospital. Ruth already had some health issues including colitis and she also has a lifelong congenital heart defect. She had to have two heart surgeries – the first when she was four months old and the second when she was five years old. The second surgery caused a stagnation of blood flow in a certain area of her heart, leaving her susceptible to stroke. Ruth was helped in her recovery by taking part in a programme which was run by the Stroke Association. The course provided 12 weeks of exercise, advice and support for stroke survivors. 'This programme was one of the things which helped me,' she says. 'I was in a group with other stroke survivors so it was nice to meet people in a similar position to me. 'There were exercises I did to help strengthen my arm and leg. 'But I still need to have regular physio now because there are certain movements my right leg can't do.' Ruth also had help from a speech and language therapist. 'I couldn't speak at all initially so it was quite difficult. I just had to keep going at it and it took a few years overall to get my speech back properly.' Ruth is thankful for the help she has received particularly from her parents. 'Their support has been very good. When I was in hospital they came in every day to see me,' she explains. 'They have helped me an awful lot in my recovery. Taking me to the Stirling hospital to get help with my speech and language. 'And they have also helped me with my physio. 'Having the support of my family has made me feel so much better than I was before.' Ruth says her two sisters Alice, 42, and Sarah, 37, have also been there for her during her recovery. After initially doing voluntary work for Oxfam and Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, Ruth now works part-time – talking for a living – as a market research interviewer which she enjoys. And she feels lucky to to have survived. 'I am quite a positive, cheerful person and I am alive. 'I have been very determined in my recovery and have tried to make the best of a pretty bad situation.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Stroke Awareness Month: Neurosurgeon Dr. Kendrick Johnson Discusses Stroke Symptoms and Treatments with YourUpdateTV
For Stroke Awareness Month, Dr. Kendrick Johnson from the Tulane School of Medicine, Discusses the Importance of Acting FAST During a Stroke NEW YORK, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stroke can happen anytime, anywhere and to anyone. In the US, there are approximately 800,000 strokes a year, among people of all ages. May is Stroke Awareness Month, and recently, Dr. Kendrick Johnson, Neurosurgeon from the Tulane School of Medicine, teamed with Penumbra, Inc. on a nationwide media tour to discuss the importance of early intervention, treatment options, and common symptoms to look out for. This May, for Stroke Awareness Month, healthcare leaders across the country are urging people to take simple steps that could make a life-saving difference: learn the signs of stroke and act quickly. Stroke is one of the leading causes of long-term disability in the U.S., and it can strike without warning. But with early recognition and immediate treatment, recovery is more possible than ever. The best way to spot a stroke? Remember the FAST acronym: - F – Face drooping on one side - A – Arm weakness or numbness - S – Speech difficulty or slurred words - T – Time to call 911 Every minute a stroke goes untreated, up to two million brain cells can die. But recent medical innovations are helping with stroke survival. One of the most promising advancements is mechanical thrombectomy—a minimally invasive procedure that physically removes the blood clot causing the stroke. Using a thin, tube-like catheter inserted into an artery and tracked to the brain, doctors can reach the blockage and remove the clot, often in minutes. When performed early, thrombectomy can restore blood flow quickly and potentially improve outcomes, giving patients the chance to return to full, independent lives. This Stroke Awareness Month, everyone should familiarize themselves with the signs of stroke so that they can BE FAST if stroke is suspected. Early action doesn't just change outcomes—it can help save lives. To learn more, visit About Kendrick Johnson Dr. Johnson is a dual fellowship trained Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Neurosurgeon. He has special expertise in the open and minimally invasive treatment of carotid artery disease, brain aneurysms, AVMs, stroke, and other diseases of the cerebral vasculature. In addition to his specialized interest in cerebrovascular neurosurgery, Dr. Johnson can also care for patients with spine disorders, brain tumors, trauma, and general neurosurgical care. Dr. Johnson is a Louisiana native, hailing from St. Joseph, LA, in Tensas Parish. He graduated with honors in Chemistry from Southern University and A&M College. Dr. Johnson then completed medical school at the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport. He then went on to complete residency training at the University of Illinois School of Medicine in Peoria, where he also completed an Enfolded Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology fellowship. Following completion of residency training, Dr. Johnson then completed additional fellowship training at Semmes-Murphey Clinic in Open Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Neurosurgery. Dr. Johnson's research interests center around equity in stroke care, the anatomic basis of cerebrovascular disease, as well as aneurysm and stroke treatment outcomes. *YourUpdateTV is a property of D S Simon Media. The video included and release was part of a media tour that was produced by D S Simon Media on behalf of Penumbra, Inc. Dante MuccigrossoDirector of Media Integration & Client ReportingE: dantem@ 973.524.0104 A video accompanying this announcement is available at in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
