Stroke
A Stroke is also known as a Brain Attack because just as a Heart
Attack causes damage to the heart the stroke damages the brain.
A stroke is an emergency. If you ever think
you might be having a stroke or a small stroke - CALL 911 and go to
the ER. At ARFP our main goal is to do everything we can to
prevent strokes. This means controlling your
blood pressure,
treating your
diabetes and
cholesterol and trying to help you stop
any tobacco use.
A Transient Ischemic Attack or TIA is a serious warning event. It
is a temporary blockage of the blood flow which causes temporary problems
but no permanent brain injury. YET. Symptoms of a TIA can be
confusion, difficulty speaking or walking or weakness in a arm or leg.
The symptoms usually go away in a hour or so and this is good, but it could
be a signal that a full stroke is on the way. We must take them
serious and check for ways to prevent the actual stroke. If you have
symptoms of a TIA or possible stroke the doctors at ARFP will check several
tests to try to find a way to prevent a stroke. This will include a
focused physical exam, some blood tests, a EKG and a chest x-ray. Then
we will most likely schedule a brain CT scan or MRI, a ultrasound exam of
the carotid arteries and a ultrasound exam of the heart.
The
American Stroke Association is part of the
American Heart Association and is devoted to educating people about
prevention of stroke. The National Stroke Association is another good
resource.
It is important to know that the same things that increase the risk of
having a heart attack also increase the risk of a stroke. If you want
to reduce the chance that you will have a stroke you will need to keep your
weight under control, keep your blood pressure below 130/80 and keep your
LDL cholesterol below 100. If you smoke you must find a way to stop.
Daily moderate intensity physical activity will help.
Plavix is a medication that can
reduce the risk of a stroke in some people.
Stroke Warning Signs
- Sudden numbness or weakness: Usually
affects the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or
understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing: Either in one or
both eyes.
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of
balance or coordination.
- Sudden severe headache with no known
cause.
If you think you may be having a
stroke - CALL 911 now and go to the ER. If you would like
to have an exam to check on your risk of future stroke call 227-6363
to make an
appointment with one of our physicians.