National Stroke Awareness Month

May is National Stroke Awareness month.  Join CPAPSupplyUSA.com as we do our part to make Americans aware that they may be able to “SAVE A LIFE” of a person experiencing a stroke.  The National Stroke Awareness Month is run by the National Stroke Association.  The National Stroke Association helps individuals

“Save A Life” by educating them about:

·        Risk Factors

·        Stroke symptoms

·        Stroke preventative measures

Stroke risk factors that can not be changed include:

• Age- The chances of having a stroke approximately doubles for each decade of life after age 55
• Heredity (family history and race)-Your stroke risk is greater if a parent, sister or brother has had a stroke.  African Americans have a much higher risk of death from a stroke than Caucasians.
• Sex(gender)- Stroke is more common among men
• Prior Stroke-The risk of stroke for someone who has already had a stroke is many times that of a person who has not.

Risks factors that can be changed, treated or controlled

• Cigarette smoking
• Diabetes mellitus
• Carotid or other artery diseases
• Poor diet
• High blood pressure
• Physical inactivity and obesity

The National Stroke Association program places emphasis on making the public aware about ACTING FAST.  FAST being an acronym for things to check in a suspected stroke victim:

• F-FACE  Does the face droop on one side when the person smiles
• A-ARM After raising both arms, does one of the arms drift downwards?
• S-SPEECH After repeating a simple phrase, does the person’s speech sound slurred?
• T-TIME If any or all of the above are observed call 9-1-1.

So what is the connection between Sleep Apnea and Stroke?

Obstructive Sleep Apnea decreases blood flow to the brain, elevates blood pressure within the brain and eventually harms the brain’s ability to modulate these changes according to a new study by the American Physiological Society.  These findings may help to explain why people with sleep apnea are likely to suffer strokes.

The good news is that the treatment of sleep apnea with CPAP and BIPAP has shown to normalize cerebral blood flow and can help to lower blood pressure.  Studies have also indicated that wearing CPAP for more than 5 hours every night can further reduce blood pressure.

Know your risk factors.  Make changes when possible to avoid risk factors.

If you suspect you have Sleep Apnea, talk to your physician.  Check our website for more information about Sleep Apnea.