Strokes happen suddenly and without warning. Learn the signs now – it could save your life or the life of a loved one. Just remember BE FAST:

Balance – loss of coordination
Eyes – blurred or double vision or vision loss
Face – one side of your face droops
Arm – one arm drifts down when you try to raise them
Speech – slurring or your words are coming out wrong
Time – if you or a loved one have any of the symptoms, call 911 right away

And learning the signs can be fun! OHSU's BE FAST song will teach you everything you need to know. We hope you watch, learn and sing along with us.

_{"BE FAST” was developed by Intermountain Healthcare, as an adaptation of the FAST model implemented by the American Stroke Association. Reproduced with permission from Intermountain Healthcare. © 2011 Intermountain Healthcare. All rights reserved.}

Know your risk

Women are more likely than men to have severe strokes and are less likely to recover. Women under 40 are also more likely than men their age to have strokes. Are you at high risk? Talk to your health care provider if you have some of these risk factors: 

• Age: Since women live longer than men, they are at higher risk for stroke.
• Race: Black and Latina women are twice as likely as white women to have a stroke due to past and current social inequities.
• Family history: If your grandparent, parent or sibling had a stroke, higher risk may run in your family.
• Other health conditions: High blood pressure, diabetes, sickle cell disease and atrial fibrillation (A-fib) are just a few.
• Problems in pregnancy: If you ever had high blood pressure or diabetes during a pregnancy, your stroke risk may be higher.
• Hormone therapy: Some types of birth control and hormone therapy that contain estrogen can increase your stroke risk.
• Migraines: Women have more migraines than men. If your migraines include changes to your vision, your stroke risk may be higher.

Stroke prevention

Did you know that 80% of strokes can be prevented? You can reduce your risk of stroke by taking small steps for better health:

• Keep your blood pressure at a healthy level. 120/80 or lower is the goal.
• Don’t smoke. Ask your health care provider if you want tools to help you stop smoking.
• Keep a healthy weight. Being overweight can double your risk of stroke.
• Eat healthy. Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Eat less meat, processed foods, alcohol and salt.
• Exercise. 30 minutes a day, five days a week, is a great place to start.
• Take your medicine. If you have high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease, make sure you’re following your treatment plan.
• Manage your stress. You can’t always avoid stress, but you can learn ways to cope. Spend time outside, with friends and family, or with a pet. Exercise, meditation, and yoga can all help you cope with stress.