The American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association and Tulane Health System will host a Stroke Relay on Oct. 26 in the Tulane Medical Center Main Atrium, 1415 Tulane Ave. in New Orleans.
Tulane Health System leaders and providers will compete in a fun, five-station obstacle course which demonstrates stroke warning signs during this event, which begins at 2 p.m.
Immediately following the Stroke Relay, Tulane Health System will receive designations from the American Heart Association in resuscitation and stroke.
The American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association and Tulane Health System are raising awareness about World Stroke Day, which will be observed on Oct. 28, to prevent some of the more than 129,000 deaths that occur annually from stroke.
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts (ruptures). When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die, causing the portion of the body affected to not function as it should.
The warning signs of a stroke are:
• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or trouble understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden difficulty walking; dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause