Approximately 80,000 strokes and 12,000 deaths occur every year as a result of AF. Despite its prevalence, most people are unaware of the potentially life-threatening link between AF and stroke. Once identified and properly treated, the risk of stroke caused by AF can be reduced by 70%, which will have a great impact on saving lives and reducing health care costs.
Checking for AF and possibly preventing a stroke is as easy as taking your pulse! “The easy, risk-free pulse-check technique is comparable to women checking their breasts for lumps that might indicate cancer,” said Dr. Frederick E. Munschauer, III, MD. “It takes just seconds each month to do something that may save your life.”
Check Your Pulse America is a national initiative developed by Dr. Munschauer, neurologist and Director of the Research Center for Stroke and
Heart Disease, to increase public awareness of AF and its medical consequences. The program teaches people in just a few moments how to take
their pulse and determine whether their rhythm is regular or irregular, a possible sign of AF - a major risk for stroke.
How to Check Your Pulse
Step 1
Turn your left hand palm-side up, then place the first two fingers of your right hand along the outer edge of your left wrist to just below where your
wrist and thumb meet. Use only your fingertips against your wrist, don't lay your fingers down flat.
Step 2
Slide your fingertips slowly toward the center of your wrist until you feel your pulse. If you move your fingertips all the way to the center of your
wrist, you've gone too far. You should feel your pulse somewhere between the outer left side of your wrist and the center; between the wrist bone and the tendon.
Step 3
Press down with your fingertips gently until you feel your pulse. If you press too hard, you may not be able to feel the pulsation. Feel free to move
your fingers until the pulse is easiest to feel.
Step 4
Feel your pulse for one minute, keeping time by tapping your foot. Imagine the ticking of a clock to determine if the rhythm of the beat is even. No
need to count the beats. You need to notice if the pulse is regular (steady, constant) or irregular (unsteady, not constant).
If you suspect that your pulse may be irregular, tell a doctor right away. Although having AF increases your risk of stroke by about five times, there
are several effective treatments for it.
The Research Center for Stroke & Heart Disease is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing stroke and heart disease. Fortunately, both stroke and heart disease can be prevented, and the Research Center believes learning the Check Your Pulse America technique is the first step.
