There is no time to wait!
A new study revealed that young people underestimate signs of strokes, ignoring important symptoms that could save their lives.
Most Americans under 45 years old are reluctant when it comes to going to the hospital, a habit that jeopardizes their lives. The study, conducted by a team of researchers from the University of California in Los Angeles found out that almost 75 percent of young people experiencing symptoms of stroke would wait to see if their symptoms get worse before deciding to go to the hospital.
According to the researchers treatment is critical in the first few hours after the stroke has occurred for better chances to minimize or even reverse the brain damage.
According to the CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stroke is the fifth cause of death in the U.S., killing over 130,000 Americans every year. But the total number of strokes is way larger, reaching almost 800,000 strokes every year, of which about 610,000 are first strokes.
A previous CDC report showed an increase of up to 53 percent in the number of strokes affecting young Americans with ages from 15 to 44.
According to UCLA Medical Center professor of neurology Dr. David Liebeskind , it is imperious to get treatment for a stroke in time – probably more important than it is for any other problem – as the brain is extremely sensitive to bleeding or to lack of blood flow and the consequences become more devastating as more times goes without receiving treatment.
More than 1,000 people have been interviewed by UCLA researchers regarding their actions they would most probably do in the first three hours of experiencing stroke symptoms like difficulty speaking or seeing, numbness and weakness.
Only one in three participants said they would be very likely to get to a hospital while 73 percent would wait to see if the symptoms got worse or improved hoping there will be no need to go to the hospital.
According to the researchers most of the people who would be hesitant to go to the hospital are not familiar with the potential seriousness of the symptoms.
Researchers urge people to make lifestyle decisions which would lower their risk of stroke but also to remember the acronym F.A.S.T., standing for “Face (dropping); Arm (weakness); Speech (difficulty); Time (to call 911).
Young people have to understand that there is not time for waiting when symptoms of stroke occur. Seeking medical attention as soon as possible is mandatory!
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