May 1, 2019
COLUMBUS – The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Comprehensive Stroke Center will offer 10 opportunities for free stroke risk assessments in May and June, starting with screenings from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Wednesday in May in the lobby of the Brain and Spine Hospital, 300 W. 10th Ave.
Additional stroke risk screenings will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 1 and May 29 at East Hospital’s Bistro O-H Café, 181 Taylor Ave.; and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 16 in the lobby of the Martha Morehouse Pavilion, 2050 Kenny Road.
Stroke risk assessments will also be offered from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 1 at a booth set up outside of the Farmer’s Market at the North Market, 59 Spruce St.
During the stroke risk screenings, participants will be assessed on the eight factors that increase the risk of a stroke – high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, smoking, cholesterol, diabetes, exercise, diet and family history. No registration is necessary.
Ohio State Wexner Medical Center also offers this free online stroke risk quiz.
Strokes happen when blood flow to the brain stops. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. There are two kinds of stroke. The more common kind, ischemic stroke, is caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain. Hemorrhagic stroke is caused by a blood vessel that breaks and bleeds into the brain. "Mini-strokes," or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), occur when the blood supply to the brain is briefly interrupted.
Symptoms of stroke include:
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg (especially on one side of the body).
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech.
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause.