September 8, 2022 – TV news anchor Julie Chen recovers after her trial brain attackSymptoms are similar to live on the air earlier this month. Chen, the local news anchor for NBC affiliate KRJH in Tulsa, was, well, reporting on a NASA Artemis I launched when she suddenly had trouble speaking or reading the words from the teleprompter.
Thanks to quick action from colleagues who called 911, Chen was taken to a nearby hospital where she underwent a series of tests.
“First I lost partial vision in one eye. A little later my hands and arms went numb. Then, I knew I was in big trouble when my mouth wouldn’t speak the words that were right in front of me on the remote control,” she wrote on Facebook the next day.
“My doctors think I’m starting to have a stroke in the air,” said Chen, who is now recovering at home.
When the news anchor becomes the news
The video of Chen struggling for words is attracting a lot of attention to this medical emergency. It shows how stroke-like symptoms can start unexpectedly and quickly. It’s also a good reminder for anyone who thinks they or someone else might be having a stroke that they need to act fast.
“It was a scary event for her, but I think it’s a good opportunity for us at the American Heart Association to remind people of the signs of stroke,” says Mitchell Elkind.
Larry Goldstein, MD, chief of neurology at the University of Kentucky Healthcare in Lexington, agrees.
“Anything that raises awareness is a good thing,” he says. “This event was a good example of someone with speech alterations that – although her pronunciation was fine – had a real problem with word search.”
People who experience a stroke play an important role. Sometimes a person who has a stroke can’t seek help or the stroke takes away their ability to realize they have a problem, says Elkind, chief clinical science officer for the American Heart Association.
“That’s why it’s important for friends, co-workers, or even people on the street to recognize the signs of a stroke.”
Remember the signs
If you suspect a stroke, remember BEFAST means balance; eyes (vision loss); face (drooping); two arms (one arm drifts downwards); Speech (slurred or slurred), time and terrible headache.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that people think at least quickly because it is easier to remember, despite the balance and eye problems It could happen, Elkind says.
Balance and eye problems can determine another 14% of people who have a stroke, Goldstein says. No matter how you remember the signs of a stroke, he says, it’s important to act quickly.
In Chen’s case, the incomprehensible text message she sent to her husband after she stopped broadcasting was another clue: “I need help. Something isn’t working today. My business won’t work is to help me.” Her husband rushed to meet her in the hospital.
A total of 795,000 Americans suffer a stroke each year, and CDC . Reports. More than 600,000 of these are first strokes. According to AHA 2022 Fact Sheet. This translates to one death from a stroke every 3.5 minutes in the United States.
About 80% to 90% of strokes are preventable, so people should consider making lifestyle and other changes to reduce their risk, Goldstein recommends. . Because “once a stroke happens, it’s like catching up [situation]. “
For people who are reluctant to seek medical attention right away, Elkind notes that specialists have effective treatments for stroke, but that they should be given soon after signs begin to appear. “Don’t ignore that it would be my recommendation.”
Chen said in an interview on today’s show Wednesday.
“I hope this story helps someone else,” Chen said.
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