Prisma Health recognizes May as National Stroke and Hypertension Awareness Month, offers free seminars and screenings

Prisma Health–Midlands will offer free seminars and health screenings during May 2019 to help educate the community about the dangers of stroke and hypertension.

According to the Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention Center, South Carolina is in the “Stroke Belt,” an 11-state region of the United States where studies show that the risk of stroke is 34 percent higher for the general population than it is in other areas of the country. Since our region of the country is particularly susceptible to these conditions, it’s important to know the facts and be better prepared in the event of a life-threatening situation.

The seminars will be led by neurologists from Prisma Health Richland Hospital’s Comprehensive Stroke Center. Prisma Health Richland Hospital recently earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^® and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification for Comprehensive Stroke Centers. With this certification, Prisma Health Richland Hospital joins an elite group of health care organizations focused on highly-specialized stroke care, offering advanced imaging capabilities and 24/7 availability of specialized treatments.

Stroke awareness seminars

Monday, May 13, 6–7 p.m.
Ravish Kothari, MD, Neurologist, Palmetto Health-USC Medical Group
Prisma Health Baptist Hospital Auditorium
1501 Sumter St., Columbia, ground floor
Blood pressure and body analysis measurements will be available.

Wednesday, May 29, 6–7 p.m.
Souvik Sen, MD, MS, MPH, Chair of Neurology, Palmetto Health-USC Neurology
Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge Hospital
Birch and Cedar Classrooms
400 Palmetto Health Pkwy., Columbia
Blood pressure and body analysis measurements will be available.

Signs of a stroke

The National Stroke Association reports that up to 80 percent of strokes can be prevented by working with a health care professional to reduce personal risk. The leading causes of stroke and the most important controllable risk factors for stroke are:

• High cholesterol
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes

Getting to the hospital quickly is vital in getting treatment and preventing permanent damage. So, if you or someone you know experiences any of these symptoms for more than a few minutes, call 9-1-1 immediately:

• Sudden weakness or numbness in face, arm, or leg on one side of body.
• Abrupt loss of vision, strength, coordination, sensation, speech or ability to understand speech.
• Sudden dimness of vision, especially in one eye.
• Sudden and severe headache with no other cause followed rapidly by loss of consciousness.
• Unexplained dizziness or sudden falls.

For more information on the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Prisma Health Richland Hospital, please call 803-296-CARE (2273).