6. Trouble Swallowing (Dysphagia)
Feels like food is “sticking”
Coughing or choking while eating
New-onset drooling
🩺 Can indicate brainstem involvement.
7. Sudden Behavioral or Mood Changes
Unexplained agitation
Apathy
Sudden depression or emotional lability (crying/laughing uncontrollably)
🧠 The brain controls mood — changes can signal disruption.
🛡️ Who Is at Higher Risk?
Risk Factor
Why It Matters
✅ High Blood Pressure
#1 cause — damages blood vessels over time
✅ Smoking
Narrows arteries and raises clot risk
✅ Diabetes
Increases vascular damage and inflammation
✅ High Cholesterol
Plaque builds up in arteries — can break off and block blood flow
✅ Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)
Irregular heartbeat → clots form in the heart
✅ Family History
Genetic predisposition to stroke or heart disease
✅ Age Over 55
Risk doubles every decade after 55
💡 But remember: Strokes can happen at any age — even in young adults and children.
✅ How to Reduce Your Risk
Habit
Benefit
✅ Control blood pressure
Keeps arteries healthy — aim for <120/80 mm Hg
✅ Quit smoking
Reduces risk significantly within 2 years
✅ Exercise regularly
At least 150 mins/week of moderate activity
✅ Eat a heart-healthy diet
Rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and omega-3s
✅ Manage diabetes & cholesterol
With medication and lifestyle
✅ Treat AFib properly
Anticoagulants can prevent clots
🩺 After a TIA, doctors may prescribe blood thinners, statins, or recommend surgery (like carotid endarterectomy).
❌ Debunking the Myths
Myth
Truth
❌ “If symptoms go away, it wasn’t serious”
Dangerous myth — TIA is a medical emergency
❌ “Only older people get strokes”
False — rising in younger adults due to obesity, vaping, poor diet
❌ “I’d know if I was having a stroke”
Not true — some people deny symptoms or sleep through them
❌ “There’s nothing you can do to stop a stroke”
False — treatment within 3–4.5 hours can dissolve clots and save brain tissue
🚨 When to Seek Emergency Care
Call 911 or your local emergency number if you or someone else experiences any of the FAST symptoms — even if they disappear.
💬 Say this to dispatchers:
“I think this might be a stroke.”
Do not:
Drive yourself to the hospital
Wait to see if it gets better
Take aspirin unless told by a doctor
🚑 Paramedics can start life-saving protocols before arrival.
