Health Feature Articles
Stroke: Time Lost is Brain Lost
Gail Carlson, MPH, PhD, Health Specialist, University of Missouri Extension
When someone suffered a stroke before 1996, little could
be done except to wait. Rehabilitation and recovery
could begin once the damage was done. Today, that
picture is changing. Early treatment can prevent
disability and death, but fast action is needed. The
longer the delay between a stroke and treatment, the
more damage a stroke can do. An advertising campaign
from the American Stroke Association says it well: Time
Lost is Brain Lost.
A brain attack (stroke) damages the brain just as a
heart attack damages the heart. Both require emergency
medical treatment. A stroke occurs when the flow of
blood to part of the brain is stopped. Brain cells in
the affected part of the brain don’t get the oxygen they
need and start to die. When brain cells die there can be
loss of function. Speech, sight, movement and/or memory
can be affected. Some people who have had a small stroke
experience only mild effects, like weakness in an arm or
leg; some recover completely. Large strokes can cause
permanent disability and death.
A stroke can be caused by a clot in a blood vessel or
artery (ischemic stroke) or by a ruptured or burst blood
vessel (hemorrhagic stroke). Strokes occurring from
clogged vessels are more common and account for 83
percent of all strokes.
Call 9-1-1 or your emergency medical service
immediately if you or someone you are with experiences
any of the following symptoms.
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the 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
Tell the operator what kinds of warning signs are
present and when the symptoms first occurred. Health
care professionals will want to know when the symptoms
first started, not when they were first noticed. This is
an important difference. A drug called tPA can help
those suffering from an ischemic stroke but treatment
must begin within 3 hours of the start of symptoms. If
tPA is given more than three hours after the start of
symptoms it can cause serious complications and death.
Providing accurate information to your health care
provider can make a difference in the kind of treatment
given.
A key word is sudden. In our daily lives, most of us
have occasional headaches, changes in vision, numbness
and even weakness. So how do you know if these
relatively common symptoms are signs of a medical
emergency? The symptoms will come on suddenly and for no
apparent reason. Experiencing only one symptom for even
a short period of time can be a sign of stroke or a TIA.
A previous stroke or TIA places you at greater risk
of suffering another stroke. TIAs (transient ischemic
attacks) are sometimes called mini-strokes or warning
strokes. A TIA is a sudden but temporary interruption of
the blood supply to the brain. Stroke symptoms will
usually last for only several minutes; however, they can
last for up to 24 hours. Even though the problem seems
to clear up without treatment, it is a warning of a
possible major stroke. Many TIAs go undiagnosed. Talk
with your health care provider even if you have had only
one stroke warning sign that did not last a long time.
Your health care provider may be able to help you
prevent a major stroke.
Every year, more than 750,000 Americans experience a
stroke. A third of those stroke victims are under the
age of 65. Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in
Missouri and is a leading cause of adult disability.
Nationwide, more than four million survivors are living
with the physical and emotional effects of stroke. Like
heart attacks, brain attacks are preventable and quick
treatment can reduce death and disability.
This information is being provided for educational
purposes. Your health care provider can make
recommendations specific to your situation. Follow your
health care provider’s advice.
References:
American Heart Association. What is Operation Stroke?
http://www.americanheart.org
American Stroke Association. What is Stroke? (Learn
about Stroke)
http://www.strokeassociation.org/
National Stroke Association. Reducing Risk and
Recognizing Symptoms Fact Sheet
http://www.stroke.org/HomePage.aspx
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Know Stroke. Know the Signs. Act in Time. National
Institutes of Health. Bethesda, MD 20892.
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/knowstroke.htm#whattodo
Schwamm, LH and Prvu, J. (2001) Focus on Operation
Stroke. QI Newsletter; 7, 2 (Summer). Massachusetts Peer
Review Organization.
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Last Updated 05/05/2009
