skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

"FAST" Action is Vital Upon Onset of a Stroke

play audio
Play

Thursday, May 29, 2014   

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – National Stroke Awareness Month is quickly coming to a close, but supporters hope that the lessons learned will last long beyond the end of May.

Patty Clements, senior communications director for the American Heart Association, says brain damage can mount with each passing minute.

So it's vital, she says, to know the warning signs, which can easily be remembered with the acronym FAST.

"F is for face,” she explains. “Is your face drooping or feeling numb? A is for arm weakness. S is for speech difficulty.

“So, if you have any one of these symptoms, T – it is time to call 911."

According to the American Heart Association, stroke is the third leading cause of death in Illinois, claiming about 5,000 lives per year.

Clements says there are a number of ways a person can reduce his or her risk for stroke, including quitting smoking, getting regular exercise and eating a healthy, well-balanced diet.

All of these require some lifestyle changes, but they help to reduce high blood pressure, which she says is the number one controllable risk factor.

"So, if you lowered your top number by 10 or that bottom number by five, you can cut your risk of stroke in half,” Clements explains. “So, that is the number one thing to look at – go get a blood pressure check.

“Any pharmacy is going to have a free blood pressure cuff at this point. Check it out."

It's estimated that a stroke occurs somewhere in the United States every 40 seconds.








get more stories like this via email

more stories
Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …


Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …


More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social media platform X temporarily shutdown searches of "Taylor Swift" following the release of explicit deepfake images in early 2024. (Mdv Edwards/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Social Issues

play sound

A 2023 study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center concluded the number of Nebraskans with a mental health or substance abuse disorder has pr…

Environment

play sound

A farm group is helping Iowa agriculture producers find ways to reduce the amount of nitrogen they use on their crops. Excess nitrates can wind up …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021