Sing F-A-S-T FAST to end stroke
As part of World Stroke Day on Oct. 29, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association is urging the public to sing a tune that could save lives.
The F.A.S.T. Song helps people learn the most common warning signs of stroke and what to do if one occurs:
If someone has a stroke near you, the F.A.S.T. song tells you what to do.
The letter “F,” it stands for face, if one half droops, no time to waste.
The letter “A” means an arm that’s weak, the letter “S” means it’s hard to speak.
The letter “T” means it’s time for 9-1-1, call right away so help will come.
Learn the song to show you care, and help end stoke each time you share.
Fewer than one in 10 people know what each F.A.S.T. letter means and one in three people can’t name any stroke signs, according to American Stroke Association studies.
To help the public get in tune with the stroke signs, the association has several styles of the song and complete lyrics available on StrokeAssociation.org/WorldStrokeDay. People are asked to share their favorite F.A.S.T. Song with family and friends on social media using #SingFAST.
“Most of us can recall using song to memorize something in history class like U.S. states in alphabetical order or the preamble to the constitution. It’s fun and it really works. The same principle works for learning stroke signs,” said Rani Whitfield, M.D., American Stroke Association volunteer who is also known as The Hip Hop Doc.
Stroke is the world’s second-leading cause of death and No. 5 in the United States. It’s also a leading cause of long-term disability – though largely treatable.
“The medical community has made great strides in both preventing and treating stroke,” said Dr. Mark Gorman, Professor of Neurological Sciences at the University of Vermont Medical Center. “Many people, both young and old who would otherwise be disabled are treated and end up returning to their lives able to do whatever they want. These treatments have to be given within a very short time span after the beginning of symptoms, but can make a huge difference when given appropriately. The current tragedy is that we are only able to treat a small minority of stroke patients, mostly because they don’t seek medical help soon enough. At the core of that is the need for everyone to be able to recognize the symptoms of stroke, and to know what to do about them when they see them in themselves or somebody!”
The F.A.S.T. Song and World Stroke Day campaign are part of the American Stroke Association’s Together to End Stroke initiative nationally sponsored by Medtronic. Together to End Stroke teaches Americans that stroke is largely preventable, treatable and beatable.
To learn more, visit www.StrokeAssociation.org/WorldStrokeDay. To join and follow the conversation on social media, use #SingFAST.