Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
May 15, 2008 issue
Story by Corinne Saunders
North Carolina, situated in the “buckle” of the nation’s “stroke belt,” has the fourth highest stroke death rate in the nation.
Stroke, caused either by a burst or clotted blood vessel in the brain, is the third leading cause of death in Watauga County and in North Carolina, ranking right behind heart disease and cancer.
To combat the prevalence of stroke, an upcoming Spirit of Women event will address how to prevent them and how to identify stroke risk factors and warning signs of stroke.
“We always do a health focus [at Spirit of Women events],” said Bryan Belcher, manager of Watauga County Healthy Carolinians. “This time, it’s stroke prevention and awareness and also on increasing brain power.”
Part of the nationwide Spirit of Women network, the Appalachian Regional Healthcare System that includes Watauga Medical System, Blowing Rock Hospital and Cannon Memorial Hospital, will host “Get Smarter, Get Stronger” on Saturday, May 24, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
This event is free and open to the public and will take place at the Watauga Medical Center Auditorium, located at 336 Deerfield Road in Boone.
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Louisiana make up the “stroke belt,” where stroke death rates are substantially higher than in the rest of the country, for reasons that have not yet been decidedly determined.
Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina—and especially the coastal plains areas of these states—make up the “stroke buckle” and have had stroke death rates that double those of states in the rest of the country for more than 50 years.
South Carolina has the highest stroke death rate in the county and Georgia has the fifth highest.
“Untreated high blood pressure is the number one risk factor for stroke,” said Candy Jones, Appalachian Regional Healthcare System’s community outreach education nurse.
Blood pressure should be less than 120 over 80, she added.
Other stroke risk factors include high cholesterol, diabetes, cigarette smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Changing unhealthy lifestyles and seeking treatment for medical conditions can greatly reduce the risk of stroke.
Blood pressure screenings and stroke risk assessments will be available on site at no cost to attendees.
Lee Gilman, Cooperative Extension’s master gardener, will teach how to grow and use an assortment of herbs, as well as a little herb history. People can “learn how to use fresh herbs for healthy cooking,” Jones said.
Earth Fare will provide healthy snacks for participants and will bring six to eight recipes that use some of the herbs. They will make two of the recipes at the event and allow attendees to taste test.
The event will also include knitting, a smoking cessation display, display on depression and brain loss and information about sun safety.
Becky Ballard, a kinesthesiologist and education consultant for more than 200 schools, will lead Brain Gym from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
“Brain Gym is a system of movements that integrate the brain and the body for coherence in learning and living,” Jones said.
Get Smarter, Get Stronger will also teach about stroke warning signs, that include numbness of the face, arm or leg, inability to lift an arm or leg, slurred or garbled speech and sudden trouble walking or seeing.
“If somebody’s having a heart attack, they can tell someone,” Belcher said. “With a stroke, the brain stops functioning and you can’t tap someone on the shoulder and say ‘I’m having a stroke.’”
For this reason, it is important to be able to identify signs that someone is having a stroke.
The acronym FAST reminds those who may be around a person having a stroke of the warning signs—Face Arms Speech—and that it is Time to call 911.
“If it’s a clot [causing the stroke], you have a two-hour window for someone to recognize you’re having a stroke and get treatment,” Belcher said, adding that time is limited because there is no blood flow to the brain.
People should call 911 and not try to drive the stroke victim to the hospital themselves, Jones added. This is important because the hospital has a stroke team that will respond and the patient can begin to be stabilized in the ambulance, whereas the patient is losing valuable time in a car ride over to the hospital, Jones said.
For more information about Get Smarter, Get Stronger or other Spirit of Women events, call 828-268-8960.
Date: Saturday, May 24
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Location: Watauga Medical Center Auditorium
Cost: Free