WHAT IS A STROKE? |
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Stroke is a serious illness. It can rob people of their identity and independence. Stroke is the brain equivalent of a heart attack and is the third most common cause of death in the UK. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Risk Simply having diabetes makes you two-to-four times more at risk of having a stroke than someone without diabetes. The risk of a stroke doubles for each decade after age 55. Your risk goes up if a close relative has a history of stroke. African-Americans have twice the stroke incidence and mortality compared to whites and Hispanics also seem to be at greater risk. Overall, the most common risk factors for stroke are high blood pressure and increasing age. Engage in some regular, planned physical activities and lower your stroke risk. Stop smoking — it more than doubles your risk for a stroke. Symptoms Symptoms of stroke appear suddenly and can include: severe headache with no known cause weakness, numbness, or tingling in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or coordination inability to speak or difficulty speaking or understanding, trouble seeing with one or both eyes, or double vision confusion or personality changes, difficulty with muscle movements, such as swallowing, moving arms and legs, loss of bowel and bladder control and loss of consciousness. Symptoms also include red, hot, dry skin (the body dilates skin blood vessels to try to release heat, making the skin red, and the dryness comes from lack of sweat), rapid heart rate and dizziness. Symptoms of a stroke depend on the area of the brain affected. When the symptoms of a stroke last only a short time (less than an hour), this is called a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or mini-stroke. Even if your symptoms resolve without treatment, you should still discuss them with your doctor. Treatment A stroke is treated as an emergency. Treatment can be more effective if given quickly but the average stroke patient waits more than 12 hours before going to a hospital emergency department, losing precious time that could be critical to treatment. Treatment can delay complications that increase the risk of a further stroke. Treatment varies, depending on the severity and cause of the stroke. Early use of anticoagulants to minimize blood clotting has value in some patients. Stroke is a preventable catastrophe and, because of its severe, long-term, disabling consequences, it should be feared more than a heart attack. Stroke isn’t necessarily a death sentence, nor does it necessarily condemn the victim to a life of disability. |
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The Health AdvocateAdaptive Healing For Womens Health |
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