Stroke
is an Emergency
Stroke is an Emergency!
Recent surveys indicate that Canadians
have hazy notions about stroke and its dangers. Despite the substantial drop in
the incidence and mortality of stroke, it remains poorly understood. Many
confuse stroke with heart attack, believe it to be caused by stress, a shock or
a head blow, or consider it an "old person's disease." This confusion may be
tragic.
Stroke is a medical emergency as life
threatening as a heart attack and even more devastating when survived.
When a stroke is suffered, time is critical. Once parts of the brain have died,
they can never be revived, yet the average stroke patient waits 13-18 hours
after the first symptoms appear before seeking medical help - far too late to
avoid permanent death of brain tissue.
It is imperative that treatment is
received within three hours of the first symptoms - preferably much sooner.
It is within this therapeutic window of opportunity that new drug therapies may
halt brain damage due to stroke.
Time is brain!
Warning Signs of Stroke
Different areas of the brain have
different functions, so there are literally thousands of possible symptoms that
can result from a stroke, depending on what blood vessels and parts of the
brain are involved. If any combination of the following symptoms occur they
should be treated as an emergency.
-
Sudden blurred or decreased vision (in
one or both eyes)
-
Sudden numbness, weakness, paralysis of
the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
-
Difficulty speaking or understanding
speech
-
Dizziness, loss of balance, or an
unexplained fall
-
Difficultly swallowing
-
Headache (usually with severe and
abrupt onset) or unexplained change in
the patter of headaches
Risk Factors for Stroke
Some risk factors for stroke are
beyond our control:
Age - The risk of stroke increases
significantly with age, at least doubling with each decade after the age of 55.
Gender - Men are 30 percent more likely
than women to have a stroke. Women, however, are more likely than men to die as
the result of stroke, accounting for 60 percent of stroke fatalities.
Race - Blacks are 60 percent more likely
than whites to have strokes.
Family History - Because both hypertension
and arteriosclerosis run in families, stroke is also more likely in certain
families.
However, there are many risk factors we
can influence to avoid the emergency that is stroke:
-
The strongest single predictor for
stroke is a previous stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA), in which
symptoms of stroke occur briefly then clear completely. Having a TIA is a
serious warning - it increases stroke risks 7-10 times and requires immediate
medical attention.
-
High blood pressure (defined at higher
than 140 over 90) is one of the most controllable risk factors for stroke,
increasing the risk for stroke 4-6 times. It is a contributing factor in 50
percent to 70 percent of strokes.
-
Heart disease is a strong risk factor
for ischemic stroke. Heart deficiencies can make it more likely that clots will
form within the heart that may break off and be carried to the brain. Atrial
fibrillation, a heart condition in which the upper chambers of the heart
flutter rapidly rather than beating effectively, may cause the formation of
clots and can raise stroke risk 6 times -up to 18 times if the heart valves are
diseased.
-
Diabetes - Diabetics have stroke risk 2
to 3 times above average. Controlling diabetes can minimize this risk.
-
Smoking is a proven health hazard,
doubling stroke risk, damaging blood vessel walls, and increasing how hard the
heart has to work.
-
Cholesterol - Though it is unclear
whether high cholesterol levels significantly affect stroke risk, it is clear
that the related risk of heart disease is increased.
-
Weight control - excess weight
increases the incidence of high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
-
Fitness - regular physical activity,
throughout life, reduces the risk of stroke. Stroke survivors in particular
should strive to maintain their fitness level - immobility causes the formation
of blood clots, usually in the large blood vessels of the leg, in up to 75
percent of stroke survivors, potentially causing pulmonary embolism (blood
clot(s) carried to the lungs), the fourth most common cause of early mortality
following stroke.
An awareness of these factors and an
effort to minimize them can only be positive, in both healthy individuals and
stroke survivors.
For more information on stroke recovery,
please contact:
Stroke Recovery Canada
Ontario March of Dimes
10 Overlea Blvd.
Toronto, ON M4H 1A4
Tel. 1-888-540-6666 or 416-425-4209
www.strokerecoverycanada.com
info@strokerecoverycanada.com
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