Good Morning Delmarva discusses Stroke Awareness Month

47ABC – In honor of May being Stroke Awareness Month, we sat down with Bryan Pugh, the Executive Director for the Brain Injury Association of Maryland to learn more about its importance.

In Maryland, there’s an estimated 150 thousand people affected by strokes.

Pugh explained to us what exactly a stroke is and common causes.

He says strokes occur when the brain does not get the proper amount of blood needed to function.

There are two types of strokes: Ischemic and Hemorrhagic.

Pugh says there are drugs that can be taken to remove the Ischemic clot, but there’s a very short time window as neurons begin to die when the brain does not receive enough oxygen.

Now, genetics can make someone more at risk for stroke, but Pugh says that stroke awareness month is meant to help others see that you can lower your risk.

High cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity, and more are common causes of a stroke you can try to prevent.

Pugh says it’s important to look out for the signs and symptoms as time is of the essence.

He says using the FAST acronym can really help.

Look for the small details such as confusion, dizziness, or loss of balance.

You can visit www.biamd.org to learn more.