By Amy Bertinelli // Women’s Health // EEW Magazine Online

May is National Stroke Awareness Month.

Did you know that stroke is the fifth cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. and can happen to anyone at any age and any time?

Empowering Everyday Women, Inc., a prominent nonprofit women’s ministry announced its first annual “Know the Signs ” campaign for National Stroke Awareness Month. More than 30 of its local women’s health chapters will be hosting free workshops and trainings and distributing helpful information to build awareness of stroke risks among African American women.

Dianna Hobbs, founder of the 501c3 organization and mini stroke survivor, launched the effort in partnership with churches, organizations, and institutions serving Black women, who are statistically two times more likely to have a stroke.

Hobbs suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA), known as a mini stroke, in 2019 due to an allergic reaction to an antibiotic. It was her husband of 25 years, Kenya Hobbs, who saw that she was exhibiting the warning signs of a stroke and rushed her to the hospital, where doctors quickly implemented life-saving measures.

“Had Kenya not known the signs and acted fast, things could have been much worse for me, possibly fatal,” says Hobbs, 47, whose signs included the sudden onset of a headache, dizziness, slurred speech, arm weakness and numbness.

A transient ischemic attack, which is what Hobbs suffered, is a warning stroke and a medical emergency with the same symptoms as ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. They typically last for a few minutes up to 24 hours and occur before about 15% of full-blown strokes or other cardiovascular problems later. Most of these later health problems happen within just days or weeks of the TIA, so early interventions to reduce risk are vital.

“Like many stroke sufferers, I was confused about what was happening to me and needed someone else to see, acknowledge, and respond to my serious medical emergency,” explained Hobbs who spent four days in the intensive care unit and emerged from the ordeal with a traumatic brain injury.

A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, happens when blood flow to an area of the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. Since blood carries oxygen to cells in the body, when brain cells are starved of blood, they die.

One out of five people who have a stroke are under 55 and chances increase as we age. African Americans are at higher risk of stroke. More women have strokes than men and more women die from stroke than from breast cancer each year.

Though Hobbs’ mini stroke was not caused by the most common risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, or obesity, the impact on the brain is the same.

“I encourage everyone to know the signs and make sure your loved ones know the signs too, so they can help you if you ever find yourself in a similar circumstance as me,” admonished Hobbs. “Just because you’re under 50 does not mean it can’t happen to you.”

The easiest way to remember the signs is by using the letters in F.A.S.T. to spot a stroke.