Knowing stroke symptoms can save a life

In the United States, stroke is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability. Only cardiovascular disease and cancer cause more annual deaths. Every year, about 700,000 Americans experience a stroke and about 160,000 of these people die.

“The good news is fewer Americans die of strokes now than did 20 years ago,” said Dr. Dan Lalonde, a neurologist at River Park Hospital. “Improvement in the control of major risk factors – smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol – may be responsible for the decline.”

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to your brain is interrupted and brain tissue is deprived of oxygen and nutrients. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die.

A stroke is a medical emergency. Prompt treatment could mean the difference between life and death. Early treatment can also minimize damage to your brain and potential disability.

Common symptoms of a stroke include:

• Sudden numbness, weakness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg, usually on one side of your body.

• Loss of speech, or trouble talking or understanding speech.

• Sudden blurred, double or decreased vision.

• Dizziness, loss of balance or loss of coordination.

• Sudden, severe headache with no apparent cause.

• Difficulty swallowing.

For most people a stroke gives no warning. But one possible sign of an impending stroke is a transient ischemic attack (TIA). During a TIA, you may feel a temporary weakness and numbness or tingling that typically involves one limb. This is due to the temporary deficiency in blood supply to your brain.

You also may experience problems with your vision, speech and balance. The episode typically lasts just a few minutes and leaves no permanent effect. But it can recur more than once and lead to permanent problems.

Many factors can increase your risk of a stroke. A number of these same factors can also increase your chances of having a heart attack. They include:

• Family history. Your risk of stroke is greater if one of your parents or a brother or sister has had a stroke.

• Age. Your risk of stroke increases as you get older. Your risk doubles each decade past age 35.

• Gender. If you’re a man, your risk of stroke is higher than a woman’s until age 55. After age 55 a woman’s risk equals a man’s.

• Race. Blacks of African-American descent are more likely to have strokes than other ethnic groups. The increase is partly due to greater risk of high blood pressure and diabetes.

• High blood pressure. Having high blood pressure increases stroke risk four to six times. Poor diet, lack of exercise and excess weight contribute to high blood pressure.

• Cardiovascular disease. This term refers to several conditions that can increase your risk of a stroke – congestive heart failure, a previous heart attack, aortic heart valve disease or valve replacement, and an irregular and often rapid heartbeat (atrial fibrillation).

• Cigarette smoking. If you smoke your risk of a stroke may be two or three times greater than if you don’t.

• Diabetes. Diabetes doubles your risk of a stroke. It increases the severity of atherosclerosis and interferes with normal breakdown of fibrin, a protein in your blood that holds clots together.

Please join Dr. Lalonde and River Park Hospital for a free stroke screening May 18 from 8-11 a.m. Registration is required, please call TriStar MedLine at 815-4300 or 800-242-5662. No fasting is required for this screening.