A stroke can change your life in an instant. It can happen suddenly and without warning. Stroke does not discriminate, and can happen to anyone at any time.

Each year, an estimated 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke, and a quarter of all strokes happen to people under the age of 65. Despite stroke being the third most common cause of death in the UK, and the leading cause of severe disability – many people still do not even know what a stroke is, or recognise the warning signs.

A stroke is a brain attack. It happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, resulting in damage to brain cells.

As the brain controls everything we do – our emotions, our mobility, how we speak, how we think etc – damage to the brain can damage any, or all of these things.

A stroke must be treated as a medical emergency. The sooner someone receives treatment, the better their chances of recovery. The symptoms of a stroke can be recognised by the FAST test: Facial weaknesses – Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye dropped?

Arm weakness – Can the person raise both arms?

Speech problems – Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say? Time to call 999 – Any one of these symptoms could indicate a stroke.

If you see the signs of a stroke, act FAST and call 999 immediately. The Stroke Association is the only UK-wide charity solely concerned with combating stroke in people of all ages.

Its main focus is to prevent stroke and to give support to people who have had a stroke and their families. The Stroke Association also campaigns to raise awareness of strokes and fund research into stroke prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. Volunteers help in many ways to achieve these goals.

More than 900,000 people in the UK have had a stroke, yet over 40 per cent of all strokes could be prevented by tackling high blood pressure – which is the single biggest risk factor for stroke.

The Stroke Association advises all adults to get their blood pressure checked on a regular basis. Regular exercise, healthy eating, giving up smoking and avoiding excessive drinking all help to control blood pressure. High blood pressure affects more than 16 million people in the UK, but a number of these people are unaware, so are going untreated and increasing their risk of stroke.

If you would like further information about stroke or The Stroke Association, or can help with fundraising, please contact the Stroke Helpline on 0845 3033 100, or visit the website at: www.stroke.org.uk

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