GREENSBORO, N.C. — When it comes to a stroke, time loss is brain loss. On average, nearly two million brain cells die every minute that a stroke goes untreated.
Sarah Fedele with the American Heart Association said while stroke is the fifth leading killer in the U.S., it's one of the leading causes of long-term disability.
“Really within three hours from that first symptom, if you can get to a certified stroke center, there's a shot called a tPa shot that they could give you that could pretty much alleviate all disability that could come from a stroke,” Fedele said.
F.A.S.T. is the acronym used to help identify a stroke. It stands for face drooping, arm weakness, speech, and time to call 911. This American Stroke Month, the American Heart Association created The F.A.S.T Experience. It’s a digital tool that gives users knowledge that may one day help save a life.
“It's an opportunity to see how the symptoms would look if it happened to you,” Fedele said. “How it would look, how it would feel, how it would sound."
WFMY News 2’s Lauren Coleman tried out the tool.
First, she took a selfie to see what she might look like if she was to have a stroke. After taking the selfie, the photo showed the left of side of her face drooped.
Second, she got a sense of what arm weakness might feel like, by playing a game.
Last, she recorded her voice to hear what she would sound like if she was having a stroke. Her speech was slightly slurred.
“You're going to remember that experience, much more than you'll remember if I just threw out a statistic of how many strokes we have in the country,” Fedele said. “Stroke can happen to anyone it does not discriminate."
When users take The F.A.S.T Experience, they can also take a quiz to see if they can identify the symptoms of stroke in others.