Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital officials are encouraging the community to know the signs and symptoms of a stroke by remembering the mnemonic “BEFAST.”

While it used to be known as the “FAST” assessment, the letters “B” and “E” were recently added to incorporate common stroke symptoms that are often missed, according to Melody Hallio, nurse navigator for the stroke and diabetes program at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.

The “BEFAST” mnemonic is used to describe the following signs and symptoms of stroke: 

B – Balance: Dizziness and being unable to walk in a straight line.

E – Eyes: Loss of vision, blurry vision or double vision.

F – Face: A drooping or unsymmetrical appearance on one side of the face. 

A – Arms: Weakness in one arm.

S – Speech: Delayed speech, garbled speech or using the wrong words.

T – Time: If the above symptoms are present, time is vital when seeking medical treatment, according to Hallio. 

“Time is absolutely of the essence,” she said. “That is the most important thing to remember.” 

Hallio continued that all of these stroke symptoms are sudden onset, meaning they “come on out of nowhere.” 

While those who have a genetic predisposition have a higher risk of suffering a stroke, Hallio noted that lifestyle also has a significant impact on a person’s individual risk. 

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“Getting active, stopping smoking, getting your high blood pressure and your high cholesterol and diabetes under control and working with a physician can greatly reduce your chance of a stroke,” she said. 

For those who do suffer a stroke, they can turn to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital to receive award-winning care, as the hospital received its 7th consecutive “Get With the Guidelines: Stroke” Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association earlier this month. 

“It’s an amazing achievement for the hospital and it’s a lot of hard work,” Hallio said. “We have an outstanding stroke program.” 

Ed. Note: This article is a KHTS Community Spotlight based on a recent radio interview with Henry Mayo.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital is a 238-bed, not-for-profit community hospital and trauma center in Santa Clarita. The Henry Mayo Hospital emergency department is open 24-7 to provide critical life-saving services, with a panel of physicians available around the clock for critical healthcare needs. In addition, a number of specialized care services are also available, including a maternity department, community hospital cancer program, advanced primary stroke center, spine and joint program, acute rehab unit, cardiology services, outpatient wound care, physical and occupational therapies and a wide range of surgical services.

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital

23845 McBean Parkway

Valencia, CA 91355

661-253-8000

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, Valencia

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