We discussed in other blogs how time is muscle when it comes to your heart and to continue with heart month topics we’re going to talk about… the brain?
The causes and risk factors for heart attacks and strokes (or, “brain attacks”) are very similar. It’s important to know the symptoms of a stroke so that you can get help fast- because the faster you get help the less brain you’ll lose.
We sat down with Kristy Chambers, our Stroke Coordinator to get her expert advice on strokes, stroke symptoms and stroke prevention. Kristy has over 25 years of nursing experience and is currently coordinating the Stroke Program and the Chest Pain Program here at ORMC. The Stroke Program has been accredited by the Joint Commission since 2009 as a Primary Advanced Stroke Center.
Q: So what is a stroke?
KC: Strokes happen when the blood supply to your brain is interrupted, reduced or blocked completely cutting off the oxygen supply to your brain and causing brain cells to die by the minute. This is an emergency situation and calls for immediate medical treatment. Stroke treatment has come a long way in the last decade and stoke patients have a high survival rate and a high quality of life rate.
Q: How do you know if you’re having a stroke?
KC: The symptoms of a stroke can be just one or several of the following:
• Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause
Sometimes (but not as commonly) people will experience:
• Sudden nausea and vomiting- not like a stomach bug because there is no warning, you’ll be fine one minute and seconds later are vomiting.
• Brief loss of consciousness or a period of decreased consciousness (fainting, confusion, convulsions or coma)
Q; What are the causes of a stroke? Can strokes be prevented?
KC: These questions sort of go hand in hand. There are some causes of stroke that can’t be prevented, only minimized, but there are others that can be controlled by behavior and diet changes. The biggest risk factors are:
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Previous TIA or stroke
• Smoking
• Heavy use of alcohol
• Atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat)
• High Cholesterol
So being healthy, lowering blood pressure, controlling diabetes, quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet high in dietary fibers and low in sugar and saturated fats- these are all things you can do to reduce your risk of stroke. A lot of the causes of strokes are similar to causes of heart attacks, and strokes are really a circulatory problem, so being heart healthy will also contribute to lowering your stroke risks.
Q: Are all strokes the same?
KC: There are two different types of strokes, ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes are caused by a blood clot that blocks an artery or blood vessel so that blood can’t reach all parts of the brain. Hemorrhagic strokes are caused by the bursting of a vessel causing bleeding into the brain.
Q: So what should you do if you suspect you or someone else is having a stroke?
KC: Call 911.
Q: Shouldn’t I just drive them to the hospital myself? Why?
KC: When you call 911 the situation can be assessed and the stroke team can be prepared for you in the emergency room. The risk with strokes is that they’re not painful so people don’t think this is an emergency situation. But once the symptoms of a stroke begin the clock starts ticking. Brain cells are dying without oxygen and there are some medicines that can reduce and even reverse the effects of stroke- but there is only a three hour window to administer that medication- but the medication is only administered for certain kinds of strokes, so the hospital is alerted that a person with a stroke is coming in and the correct medical equipment is assembled and prepared to assess the stroke.
Q: You mentioned a TIA earlier- what is that?
KC: A TIA is a transient ischemic attack or a mini-stroke. What happens is the blood flow is blocked momentarily but the resolves itself. There are symptoms such as numbness, trouble speaking and loss of balance or coordination. It’s common for these symptoms to last for a very short period of time and then disappear. They don’t cause any permanent damage- but are a very serious warning sign that a person is at risk of a stroke.
Q: What recovery rate for people after stroke?
KC: The recovery rate varies depending upon the size and location of the injury, but with the new clot dissolving drugs recovery can be dramatic.is actually quite high now. People who get immediate medical attention are able to recover quite quickly and the brain is an amazing organ with the capability of recovery, if we give it a fighting chance. So pay attention for the signs and symptoms of strokes, get immediate medical care and reduce as many risk factors as you can to live a long and healthy life.
