Lake Area Urgent Care Center Recent Medical News and Information!

Stroke or “Brain Attack”

Stroke or “brain attack” is the third leading cause of death in the U.S, behind heart attacks and cancer, killing approximately 160,000 Americans each year. Over 51 billion dollars a year is spent to care for those individuals, who do survive. A stroke is a form of cardiovascular disease which develops in the vessels carrying blood to and within the brain. When these vessels become blocked by a blood clot (ischemic stroke), or burst (hemorrhagic stroke), blood to that area of the brain is interrupted. Subsequently, that area of the brain dies resulting in the symptoms we see including paralysis, confusion, and even death. Occasionally, these symptoms may completely go away in less than 24 hours which is called a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or “mini stroke.” When a true stroke does occur, the ischemic form is the most common, occurring 80 to 85% of the time. The more serious hemorrhagic stroke causes death up to 30 to 50% of the time.

One of the best ways to minimize the damage of a stroke is to recognize the symptoms, so early treatment at the emergency room can be started. The most common symptoms include: muscle weakness or paralysis (arms, legs, face); slurred speech, coordination difficulties, dizziness, headache, visual changes (blindness). If you or someone else is having these symptoms, call 911 for help immediately! The earlier treatment is begun, the better the chance of reducing paralysis and improving survival. Typically, the only drug treatment to reverse the effects of an ischemic stroke from a plaques or clot, must be given within 3 hours of the onset of symptoms.

It’s very important to know that strokes are preventable. For those with high blood pressure, good control is important and close follow up with your family physician is key. Diet and exercise are also important to prevent diabetes and high cholesterol which are both risk factors for stroke. Currently, a daily aspirin is not recommended for those without risk factors, but may be used in patients with underlying heart disease. Lastly, quit smoking or don’t start! Unfortunately, some risks of stroke are not preventable. These include: age greater than 55 years, males, African American race, and a family history of stroke. After a stroke or a “TIA”, your risk of a second stroke is high (10% within 1 year), so continued medical follow up is necessary. For more information, see the American Stroke Association’s web site @ www.strokeassociation.org

Michael Kaplan, MD