Eastern Regional Hospital reinforces awareness and prevention of stroke
According to data from the Unified Health System, between 2019 and 2023, more than 170,000 deaths from stroke were recorded in Brazil
October is Stroke Awareness Month, one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. In light of this scenario, the Eastern Public Regional Hospital (HRPL), a reference in caring for stroke victims, emphasizes the importance of continuous health care and provides essential guidelines for prevention.
With World Stroke Day on October 29, the hospital located in Paragominas, a municipality in southeastern Pará, reinforces its commitment to the health and well-being of the population.
Neurosurgeon Gustavo Ferreira Martins explains that a stroke, or Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA), also known as a brain attack, occurs when blood stops reaching a part of the brain. “This can happen due to blockage (ischemic) or rupture of a blood vessel (hemorrhagic). When this happens, brain cells begin to die,” informs the specialist.
Signs and symptoms:
1. Drooping face – ask the person to smile and see if one side of the face does not move;
2. Weakness on one side of the body – arm or leg feels weak or numb;
3. Difficulty speaking – slurred, confused speech or inability to understand what is being said;
4. Sudden loss of vision – in one eye or both, and
5. Sudden and severe headache - different from common headaches.
Given the severity of stroke, the doctor emphasizes that “time is brain.” This means that the sooner treatment begins, the greater the chances of recovery.
However, stroke can be prevented with some important health care, including keeping blood pressure under control; healthy eating with less salt, fat, and processed foods; regular physical activity; avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, and controlling diabetes and cholesterol.
Approval - HRPL user, Josefa Maria da Conceição, 71 years old, has high blood pressure, a risk factor for stroke. A resident of Paragominas, she highlights the support received at the facility and talks about the care she began to adopt after the diagnosis. “I discovered my high blood pressure after a terrible headache. I did some tests at the doctor's request, and it confirmed the diagnosis. I sought to eat better and take walks. Additionally, I avoid situations and places that may cause me stress,” says the retiree.
The HRPL reached the mark of 163,145 services and procedures performed in the first half of 2025.
According to data from the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS), in the subsections of the Mortality Information System (SIM), 174,626 deaths from stroke were recorded in Brazil between 2019 and 2023.
Service: The Eastern Public Regional Hospital is an agency of the health network of the Government of Pará, managed by the Institute Diretrizes, in partnership with the State Department of Public Health (Sespa). The HRPL is located at Rua Adelaide Bernardes, s/n, in the Nova Conquista neighborhood, in Paragominas. For more information, call: 0800 5803291.
Text: Pedro Amorim - Ascom/HRPL
