Man makes significant lifestyle shifts after suffering stroke
In February 2020, Lewis Palmer's friends and family noticed something didn't sound right in his voice. The 46-year-old from Baton Rouge, Louisiana was hoarse and his speech was slightly slurred.
"It sounded like I was really tired and had been yelling at a football game the night before when all I had done was go out for a relaxing time with some friends," Palmer said.
Although he wasn't in any pain, he decided to get checked out at a local hospital where tests revealed Palmer had suffered a stroke.
在当地医院度过了大约一周的时间后，他的医生将他转交给了休斯敦的德克萨斯大学健康科学中心（UTHealth) for follow-up treatment to make sure he continued to get stronger.
Palmer had several risk factors that contributed to him having a stroke despite his young age. He had been diagnosed with high blood pressure in his early 20s and he also smoked cigars.
"Smoking itself increases your risk for a stroke and an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise can lead to development of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, which are also major risk factors," said Palmer's neurologistAnjail Sharrief, MD, MPH, associate professor of neurology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth and the director of stroke prevention for theUTHealth Institute for Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease。她补充说，种族也是中风风险的一个促成因素，帕尔默作为黑人的中风的可能性是完全相同的白人的四倍。
Palmer now follows a regimented exercise program and checks his blood pressure three times every morning and three times every evening. "I don't think I have ever worked out this much in my life," he said with a laugh. He has also given up smoking and visits Sharrief every few months to make sure he remains on track.
"She has been an excellent part of my recovery," Palmer said.
Sharrief is proud of Palmer's progress and said his lifestyle changes have done a lot to significantly lower his chances of having another stroke. One in 4 stroke survivors are at risk of having another one, according to the American Stroke Association.
In addition to the lifestyle habits and health conditions that could put someone at risk for a stroke, Sharrief also encourages people to be aware of the symptoms of stroke. While most people are aware of the acronym "FAST," Sharrief says it's important to add "BE" to that for Balance and Eye problems. In fact, the American Heart Association has said the acronym needs to be updated to "快速”,因为许多人中风had no symptoms of "FAST" but did have balance and eye problems.
快速代表：
B - Balance
E - Eye Problems
F - Face Drooping
A - Arm Weakness
S - Speech Difficulty
T - Time to Call 911
她说，处理中风的时间方面至关重要。“始终是，您越早到达医院，越好。/症状开始后2小时。”她说。
Sharrief added that you should constantly be monitoring if something doesn't feel right with your body because it is possible for a symptom to become more noticeable in the hours and days following a stroke. While he was in the hospital after his initial diagnosis Palmer noticed his penmanship started to become difficult to read.
莎里夫说：“就他而言，可能是症状一直存在，但直到他实际试图开始写下东西之前，他才立即注意到它。”“这就是为什么监视任何可能感觉或看起来异常的东西总是很重要的原因。”
Palmer is thankful the stroke was minor and looks forward to continuing to work hard to remain healthy for his family.
他说：“当我意识到自己可以离开地球时，这是一个可怕的想法，这无疑使我处于不同的心态。”“但是现在我专注于饮食，每天服用我的药物，多喝水并继续运动。我必须照顾好自己，以便对我的妻子和三个孩子更好。我最大的是20岁和19岁是6;我还有更多的回忆要与他们在一起。”
-For media inquiries 713-500-3030