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Strokes cause long-term disability and death.
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Edith suddenly felt odd as she
sat at the table for lunch. The glass in
her hand slipped from her fingers and everything looked blurry. A small trickle of the water she just sipped
dribbled from the corner of her mouth. She tried to speak but her words slurred
and came out wrong. Edith was having a
stroke.
Fortunately Edith’s family
realized something was terribly wrong and got her to the hospital in time.
Strokes kill close to 800,000
people each year and is the 3rd
leading cause of death in the United States. It is also the leading cause of grave long-term
disability.
What is a Stroke
A stroke takes place when the brain doesn’t get enough blood. When a Stroke is happening, the blood supply to part of the brain
is interrupted or severely reduced, starving the brain tissue of oxygen and
nutrients. Within minutes, brain cells begin to whither and die. This
happens either due to the blood flow being blocked by a clot or because an
artery feeding the brain has burst. The
lack of blood flow to the brain is immediately evident and requires quick
intervention to prevent permanent damage or even death.
Risk Factors
Risk for having a Stroke increases with age, but it is also affected
by other factors:
- High blood pressure - Having Hypertension increases the risk factor of experiencing Stroke by 4 to 6 times.
- Diabetes - People with Diabetes often have damaged blood vessels in the brain and so have a 3 times greater risk of having a Stroke.
- Heart Disease - Irregular heartbeat or damaged heart can contribute to having a Stroke.
- Abnormal Cholesterol - Having too much the “bad” LDL cholesterol or too little of HDL “good” cholesterol can also trigger Stroke.
- Obesity - Being overweight can contribute to all the other risk factors making Stroke all the more likely to strike.
Symptoms of Stroke
It is more likely that a bystander will recognize the Stroke than the
person experiencing one. Knowing what
the symptoms are and what to do is very important as every second counts when
getting treatment. A Stroke is evident by
the victim’s inability to speak, a awkward facial expression and cognitive
confusion. Secondary symptoms may
include dizziness, loss of balance and sudden onset of a headache. Some people experience blurred vision on one
or both eyes, a weakness on one side of the body and nausea. Some people suddenly experience trouble
walking.
F.A.S.T.
This acronym
can help recognizing a Stroke as it is happening.
- F – FACE Ask for a smile. Check if the face is drooping on one side.
- A – ARMS Ask to raise their arms. Check if one arm drops down.
- S – SPEECH Ask to repeat a simple phrase and check for slurred or odd speech.
- T – TIME If any of the signs are evident, call 911 immediately.
Getting to the hospital for treatment is important. The goal is to get a diagnosis within an hour
of experiencing a Stroke and treatment within 3 hours so to avoid complications
and long-term disabilities.
Kate
McCarthy is Director of Operations for HomeAid Health Care which provides
services for the elderly who wish to remain safe and independent at home. HomeAid is sister company to MedAid Staffing, which supplies trained Caregivers to local facilities, and Prairie Home
Assisted Living which has served the physical, spiritual, mental and health needs
of their residents since 1999. Together
the three companies provide comprehensive care for the elderly in the Fox Valley
area of Wisconsin.
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