Stroke: Know the Warning Signs

Andreawas shopping when she experienced numbness on her right side. She triedto alert her husband, but she couldn't make her mouth form the wordsproperly. When he asked her what was wrong, Andrea couldn't understandwhat he was saying. Andrea was experiencing a stroke. Fortunately, herhusband recognized the symptoms and got her immediate medicalattention. Today, after rehabilitation therapy and a determined effort,Andrea has fully recovered.

Each year approximately 700,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke in the United States.*More than 163,000 of these people die, making stroke the third-leadingcause of death.* Learning to recognize a stroke is crucial because, inthe words of the American Stroke Association, "Time lost is brain lost."

Understanding Strokes

Strokesare often known as "brain attacks." A stroke occurs when a blood vesselbringing oxygen and nutrients to the brain is clogged (ischemic stroke)or bursts (hemorrhagic stroke). The damaged vessel doesn't deliver theblood and oxygen the brain needs, and nerve cells in the affected areaof the brain die within minutes.

Some people experiencemini-strokes called transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). A TIA is a"warning stroke" or "mini-stroke" that produces stroke-like symptomsbut no lasting damage. While most strokes aren't preceded by TIAs, morethan one-third of people who've had one or more TIAs will later have astroke, so it is important to seek medical attention.**

Could You Be a Stroke Victim?

Anyonecan have a stroke. While you can't control some risk factors, such asbeing more than 60 years old or having a family history of strokes orTIAs, you can work with your physician to control or treat other riskfactors.

These include:

high blood pressure
tobacco use
diabetes mellitus
carotid or other artery disease
atrial fibrillation or other heart disease
a high red blood cell count
sickle cell anemia
high blood cholesterol
physical inactivity
overweight and obesity
excessive alcohol intake
Watch for These Warning Signs

Blooddeprivation to the brain can affect a stroke victim's senses, motoractivity, speech and ability to understand speech, behavior and thoughtpatterns, memory and emotions. Paralysis or weakness on one side of thebody is common. It is crucial to seek immediate medical treatment tominimize the damage caused by a stroke. Even if symptoms are temporaryand last only a few minutes, they may hint at a TIA and should not beignored. Call 911 if the following symptoms suddenly appear.

Numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
Trouble seeing out of one or both eyes; blurred or double vision
Confusion; trouble speaking or understanding
Loss of balance or coordination, trouble walking