Download the January/February Issue - Jersey Shore Medical Center

When Minutes Count,
Count on Us
Meridian Health
MeridianHealth.com • 1-800-DOCTORS
20
When a stroke strikes, every minute counts.
Getting emergency care within an hour of
the start of a stroke can prevent disability
and death. Unfortunately, many people don’t get help
quickly enough.
For stroke victims, the best chance for recovery lies in
the hands of people around them. When someone else is
alert to the problem, the stroke sufferer is more likely to
get to a hospital in time to stop the damage.
Knowing what to look for can make all the difference.
If a person suddenly has trouble speaking, smiling, or
moving an arm or leg on one side, it could be due to
stroke. Other signs include:
• Confusion or dizziness
• Trouble walking or seeing
• Sudden, severe headache
If you witness these signs in someone or experience them
yourself, call 911 right away.
Who’s At Risk?
Some factors that put you at risk for stroke are out of
your control. These include aging, family history of stroke,
and ethnicity. In Monmouth and Ocean counties, stroke
mortality is much higher among African-Americans when
compared with Caucasians and Hispanics. This is partly
because the African-American population has a higher
rate of high blood pressure.
But research shows you can control other risk
factors by choices you make every day, such as not
smoking, keeping blood pressure in check, maintaining
a healthy weight, and exercising moderately on most
days of the week.
Harry Carson knows that stroke is in his family. He encourages people to share
their family health histories with younger relatives so they can take action.
Exercising, limiting sodium, and not smoking can all help prevent stroke.
“Based on my father’s strokes and simply being a black
male, I know I’m at greater risk for stroke,” says Harry
Carson, former captain of the New York Giants, Hall of
Famer, and spokesperson for Meridian Neuroscience.
“But I make certain to do all I can to live a healthy
lifestyle, which includes exercising, eating a healthy diet,
and never skipping a yearly physical examination.”
Top-Quality Care Is Close By
Each year, almost 5 percent of the deaths in Monmouth
and Ocean counties are caused by stroke. And among
residents ages 65 and older, 6.4 percent have had a
stroke. So it’s reassuring to know that top-quality care
is just minutes away. Meridian Health is home to five
nationally accredited Primary Stroke Centers, each with
specialized teams of stroke experts who are poised to
stop the advance of stroke. Through Meridian, you’re also
connected to the region’s only Stroke Rescue Center, at
Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where nationally
renowned neurosurgeons perform groundbreaking —
and lifesaving — stroke rescue procedures. •
A Revolutionary New Screening
A comprehensive AngioScreen ® can give you
information about your circulation and risk for
stroke and heart attack. The test is offered at locations
around the region at a special discounted price of $49.95
in January and February. See page 21 for details.