WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — There are a variety of conversations that come up frequently at our WPTV Let's Hear It community meet-ups.
One of those is about the growth and development of local communities, which sometimes makes it difficult to make health care appointments in a timely fashion.
WATCH BELOW: Palm Beach County doctor lays out signs of a stroke
People have voiced their concerns to Morning Anchor Ashley Glass about having to wait months for appointments that they would expect to secure in a matter of weeks.
With those concerns in mind and considering that May is National Stroke Awareness Month, WPTV is committed to connecting you with medical experts to learn how to spot the signs of a stroke.
Dr. Daniel Vela-Duarte, an interventional neurologist at St. Mary's Medical Center, explained that a stroke is a neurological disease with many causes when a person experiences sudden loss of function in a specific area of the brain due to a lack of blood flow.
"Those changes can happen in a matter of minutes. Patients become debilitated and sometimes weak on one side of the body," Vela-Duarte said.
He advised people to keep the acronym FAST in mind to spot the signs of a stroke:
F - Facial Changes - A person might notice the corner of the mouth drooping.
A - Arm Weakness
S - Speech - A person might start to slur their words.
T - Time - Call 911 instead of attempting to drive someone to a hospital if you suspect they are having a stroke.
Vela-Duarte said some hospitals are better equipped than others to treat stroke patients.
