NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — Every year about 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke, according to the CDC.

During National Stroke Awareness Month, learn the warning signs of a stroke to save lives and understand your risk.

Dr. Aaron Daley with Riverside Neurology Specialists joined the Digital Desk to share what you need to know. Watch the livestream in the video player on this page.

What is a stroke?

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is blocked, or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. When this happens, the brain is deprived of oxygen and brain cells will begin to die within minutes without the flow of blood.

What are the signs of a stroke?

The acronym F.A.S.T. is a good reminder for the signs of stroke and how to act. It stands for: facial drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulties, and time to call 9-1-1.

What are the types of stroke?

There are two major categories: hemorrhagic (bleeding) and ischemic (blockage and lack of oxygen).

Hemorrhagic strokes can be more dire.

“The bleeding strokes tend to cause more death and significant disability than the non-bleeding strokes, or ischemic strokes,” Daley said.

There are more medicine and procedural options for the ischemic strokes.

How to treat a stroke?

There is a maximum of about 4.5 hours from the time that the stroke is noticed to the time where there is an opportunity to intervene with medication, Daley said.

There are surgical procedures that can be done in the 24-hour window after first noticing a symptom.

“The sooner the better, because realize that brain cells are dying in the millions per minute and every brain cell that doesn’t survive is disability,” Daley said.

A stroke is the fifth leading cause of death, and it is one of the leading causes of disability in the United States.

“Surviving a stroke can leave folks profoundly disabled,” said Daley. “So, time is critical.”

What factors put individuals at a higher risk for stroke?

The number one risk factor in the United States for stroke is a previous stroke, Daley said. After having one stroke, you are more likely to have another.

In general, here is a list that may put individuals at a higher risk:

  • Smoking
  • High cholesterol
  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes
  • Atrial fibulation
  • Obstructive sleep apnea

Because there is a short window to get treatment for a stroke, prevention is key.

“From that standpoint, managing those risk factors, having a good primary care plan for those,” Daley said. “It’s the old adage, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

He encourages patients to be active in their own healthcare, understand your risk factors and what can be controlled.

Risk for stroke also changes on racial, ethnic and gender lines. Different racial and ethnic groups, as well as women, are more likely to die from stroke.

Access to care

Daley acknowledged the public health problem of having access to care, saying sometimes patients run into the issue of not being able to see their doctor.

“We need to be doing a better job as a health system in getting care to the people who need it,” Daley said.

That is something he said they are working on and actively doing at Riverside.

For example, nutrition is important to mitigating risk factors, but Daley said it can be expensive to eat well.

“Those are real public health concerns that will help impact the stroke rate in the United States,” Daley said.

Here is a list of resources, below:

Find out more from Daley by watching the full Digital Desk segment in the video player on this page.