Strokes
afflict 700,000 people per year in this country, killing 157,000 of them. Stroke is also a leading cause of long-term
disability. Stroke does not
discriminate, and although some people are at higher risk than others due to
lifestyle and family history, anyone can have a stroke. Most of us think “Oh,
that will never happen to us!” The thing is, none of us know when a stroke
could strike one of our loved ones, young or old.
My husband,
David, had a stroke at the age of 44. He was always active, working on the
farm, hunting, fishing, gardening and always “on the go.” Until one day, out of
the blue, as they say, things changed- he had a stroke. He had a blood clot go
to the left cerebellum of his brain, affecting his eye sight, stomach, and
balance. He is one of the lucky ones, with no long-term side affects from his
stroke.
A stroke or
“brain attack” occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery or a blood vessel
breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When either of these
things happens, brain cells begin to die and brain damage occurs. When brain
cells die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area of the brain are
lost. These abilities include speech, movement and memory. How a stroke affects
a patient depends on where the stroke occurs in the brain and how much the
brain is damaged.
A small
stroke may leave a person with only minor problems, such as weakness of an arm
or leg. People who have a larger stoke may be paralyzed on one side or lose
their ability to speak. Some people recover completely from a stroke, but more
than 2/3 of survivors will have some type of permanent disability.
Anyone at
any age, race, or sex can have a stroke. In the U.S.
Everyone
has some stroke risk. A few stroke risk
factors are beyond your control, such as being over age 55, being a male,
African-American, having diabetes, or having a family history of stroke. If you
have any of these risk factors listed, you should learn more about lifestyle
and medical changes you can make to prevent a stroke.
Medical
stroke risk factors include: previous stroke, mini strokes, high cholesterol,
high blood pressure, heart disease, atrial fibrillation and carotid artery
disease. These medical risk factors can be controlled. Talk to your doctor if
you have any concerns about your health.
Know your
stroke prevention guidelines:
Keep your
blood pressure under control; stop smoking if you smoke; know your cholesterol
numbers; control your diabetes if you have it; exercise for at least 30 minutes
a day to improve your health; enjoy a lower sodium (salt), lower fat diet; limit
your alcohol consumption; and have a yearly check up.
Time lost
is brain lost: A one-minute delay could cost you two million brain cells. Knowing stroke's symptoms and acting fast can
make the difference between life and death, for you or someone you know. Symptoms
of a stroke include, sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or
leg-especially on one side of the body, confusion, trouble speaking or
understanding, trouble seeing in one or both eyes, trouble walking, dizziness,
loss of balance or coordination, severe headache with no known cause.
If you
think someone is having a stroke act F.A.S.T, these four letters stand for:
FACE – Ask the person to smile. Does
one side of the face droop?
ARMS – Ask the person to raise both arms?
Does one arm drift downward?
SPEECH – Ask the person to repeat a
simple sentence. Are the words slurred? Can he/she repeat the sentence
correctly?
TIME – If the person shows any of
these symptoms, time is important. Call 911 or get to the hospital fast. Brain
cells are dying.
All
services of the Livingston County Health Center are provided on a
non-discriminatory basis.
Source:
http://www.stroke.org/site
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