At the beginning of September a viral video featured an Oklahoma news anchor showing signs of an on-air medical episode. Julie Chin, a news anchor for KJRN in Tusla, Oklahoma, suffered what she said was the onset of a stroke in the middle of a newscast. This unfortunate event has led experts to share the warning signs and symptoms of a stroke that everyone should be aware of.

BJ Hicks, MD, a vascular neurologist at OhioHealth, spoke with NBC 4 about the signs of a stroke. “Potential warning signs include blurred vision, numbness of the face, arms or legs, and slurred speech,” says Dr. Hicks.

Hicks said strokes are the number one cause of disability in the United States, with more than 800,000 people affected by strokes each year. A stroke can happen to anyone, regardless of how healthy they are, at any time. That’s why it’s important to understand the signs and symptoms.

Dr. Hicks notes that women are more likely to suffer a stroke. “We want to believe that you know that women are healthier. They have fewer bad habits, and that may be true, but they live longer, and the longer people live, the more strokes they have.’

However, it can occur to anyone. Dr. Hicks says he has patients who are athletes who lead healthy lifestyles, such as triathletes, marathon runners and retired professional athletes.

Time is of the essence when someone is experiencing signs of a stroke. Dr. Hicks says that every 15-minute interval increases the risk of permanent disability.

If you think you or someone you know is showing signs of a stroke, remember: BE FAST:

B- Loss of BALANCE or coordination.

E- Vision problems in one or both EYES.

F- weakness of the person.

A-AWeakness of RM.

S- speech difficulties.

T- TIME to call 911.

To learn more about stroke care at OhioHealth, click here.

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https://newsroom.ohiohealth.com/news-anchor-stroke-leads-to-stroke-awareness/