Do you know how to spot when a friend or family member may be having a stroke? It’s important to spot them fast, no seriously, F.A.S.T. , which stands for Face Drooping – Ask them to smile. Arm Weakness – Ask them to raise both arms to shoulder height. Speech difficulties – Ask them to repeat a simple sentence back to you. Time to call emergency services. If they aren’t able to do any of these things, or it is seems too difficult, take them to the hospital immediately! The faster we spot strokes, the higher likelihood of at least some recovery. This is one of the things I learned as a volunteer for the Colorado Black Health Collaborative’s (CBHC) Power Saturday on May 19, 2018.
If you are not familiar with Power Saturday, it is one of the annual initiatives of the CBHC Barbershop/Salon Program. This is a day when CBHC volunteers go out to Denver-metro area barbershops and salons. The purpose of this program is to screen the community for high blood pressure and then provide education points on where to go if you have high blood pressure, how to live a more healthy lifestyle, and how to prevent high blood pressure. Volunteers like myself, were trained on how to use the measuring equipment (i.e. blood pressure cuffs); educated on information to provide those whose blood pressure we took. Even though it rained that day we were successfully able to screen 639 people for high blood pressure at approximately 14 shops that we visited.
High blood pressure is one of the leading risk factors for heart attack and stroke. It tends to have few to no symptoms giving it the name, the silent killer. In the Black community, it is one of the leading causes of death. That’s the reason CBHC, through its Barbershop & Salon Program, visits a different barbershop or salon weekly on Saturdays. The CBHC Power Saturday is all about getting our community excited and interested in their health through a little bit of competition. This year marked the 5th for reaching more people in the community with the important message of knowing their numbers and what to do to live a healthier lifestyle.
The highlight of the day for me was when a young boy came up to our table and not only wanted to be screened, but wanted to learn about ALL the information we had. We taught him about the different salt contents in your foods, the worst for him was finding out about how much salt was in popcorn! He then shared what he had learned with the whole shop. It was so fun to watch! His bright attitude towards health also showed me two things. First, that whatever stigma that happens in our communities in which we are hesitant to be taught about health or go to the doctor can be changed. Second, that kids are going to be a significant source of light for that change. That’s the significance of this program and CBHC as a whole. It was good to be in such a positive environment though I could see some discomfort underneath the surface. I feel proud to have volunteered with a potentially life changing event.
By: Patrice Harris – a College Intern and CBHC Volunteer.