Recognizing signs of a stroke with F.A.S.T.

Stroke is the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States, killing more people each year than automobile accidents.

“It's not the same as a heart attack, because most people that have a heart attack have pain,” said Dr. James Fleck, a neurologist at IU Health. “Strokes don't typically cause pain.”

Still, there are signs to look for. All you need to do is remember F.A.S.T.

‘F’ is for ‘Face.’ Is one side of a person’s face drooping?
‘A’ is for ‘Arms.’ Does one drift downward when you hold them straight out?
‘S’ is for ‘Speech.’ Is a person slurring?
‘T’ is for ‘Time.’ Doctors say it is vital to call 911 as quickly as possible.

“We have some treatment options available to us, but the window to get those treatment options is rather limited on the order of just a few hours,” said Dr. Fleck.

One of those treatments is interventional neuroradiology. Dr. Andrew DeNardo is one of the surgeons who use the method.

“We go in through the blood vessel in the leg, guide the tube up into the blood vessels up inside the head,” said Dr. DeNardo.

The procedure gives doctors the advantage of a faster treatment, compared to just relying on drugs.

That speed and efficiency was key in Stacia Kegeris’ case. She suffered a major stroke while she was in the hospital.

“I passed out talking on the phone to my son and fell out of a chair and a nurse heard me,” said Kegeris.

Fortunately, she was quickly taken to Dr. DeNardo for surgery. Just a few weeks following the stroke, she is nearly 100 percent recovered.

“I'm here because of early detection and quick action treatment,” said Kegeris.

Those are two things doctors said are absolutely key.

“The old adage is 'Time is Brain.' So the quicker we can get to these things, the better,” said Dr. DeNardo,

To learn more about stroke, the signs and symptoms and what you can do to lower your risk, click here.