Events for Stroke Awareness Month

Free screenings, workshop could save lives

Salem Health has several events to help your patients understand, avoid and seek treatment for strokes — May is National Stroke Awareness Month!

You already know that strokes are a leading cause of severe disability. They’re also the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. Here’s what we have planned for the public:

• Free blood pressure checks from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. May 8, 15 and 22 at the Monday Market in the Salem Hospital courtyard.
• Free community health screenings from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 13, at the Polk Community Free Clinic in Dallas. Screenings require nine hours of fasting and include: AIC, cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure. Register through our Community Health Education Center, call 503-814-2432.
• Stroke: Know the Signs is a free event from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday, May 18, at Center 50+ in Salem.

In case you haven’t shared BE FAST for stroke prevention and treatment, remember, BE FAST stands for:

B — Balance: Sudden loss of balance.
E — Eyes: Sudden vision loss.
F — Face: Facial droop or uneven smile.
A — Arm: Sudden weakness in one arm.
S — Speech: Sudden slurred speech or difficulty speaking.
T — Time: Call 911 right away.