Time Critical For Stroke Victims

Tennessee falls in an area called the “stroke belt,” a region of states that have a high instance of strokes.

Putnam County EMS Director said time is critical for stroke victims.

“People, unfortunately, they tend to wait to long before they call us or go to the hospital,” Copeland said.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted or reduced.

“And with stroke unfortunately, you have to do something very early on in the first few hours, if you just blow it off and wait til tomorrow to see your doc, there’s not a lot they can do,” Copeland said.

Copeland said if you believe someone is having a stroke, call 911 immediately.