Each year about 700,000 people have a stroke and every three minutes someone dies of stroke. But it is preventable if treated promptly.

Stroke is our nation's number three killer and a leading cause of long-term disability. A stroke is damage to the brain, caused by either a blood clot or bleeding in the brain says Dr. Joni Clark, assistant professor of neurology at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield. She describes the symptoms of stroke:

SOUND BITE: " . . . weakness on one side of the body, including face, arm and leg. It could also include numbness on one side of the body. There may be visual problems, either blindness in one eye or loss of half of the vision in both eyes. Patients can also experience trouble walking because their balance is off, slurred speech or difficulty in getting their words out."

Stroke is more common in elderly people, but younger people can also have strokes. People who have risk factors are more likely to experience a stroke. These risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. People who are obese and who smoke cigarettes are also at higher risk for stroke. Dr. Clark says the quicker the patient gets to the hospital, the more successful treatment will be.

SOUND BITE: " . . . we only have one acute treatment for stroke and the drug is a clot buster, but we only have three hours to give the drug and that means the patient has to get to the emergency room. They have to be evaluated. They have to have an imaging study and some labs before we can make a decision as to whether they are a candidate for this drug."

Time is critical when someone has stroke symptoms. Anyone who has stroke symptoms needs to call 911 or go to the emergency room immediately. Also, individuals should work with their physician to manage risk factors . . . and make it a priority to stop smoking.