Journal Standard
  • Health Matters: Quick action needed for stroke victims

  • May is a time to prepare for summer. Good weather, good times, and a season to enjoy life. But did you know that May is also National Stroke Month?

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    This is a month that is recognized for learning more about stroke: what is a stroke, how to prevent it, and what treatments are available. As you set forth this month to relax and enjoy the well-deserved warmth and sunshine, try to take some time to learn what you can do to prevent a stroke.
    A stroke is a disruption or stoppage in the flow of blood in the brain. Injury to the brain happens when brain cells die due to lack of oxygen and nutrients from this decrease or stop in blood flow.
    This can happen when a blood vessel in the brain breaks open and blood enters the sensitive tissue of the brain (hemorrhagic stroke) or when a clot blocks an artery in the brain (ischemic stroke). The most common type of stroke is caused by a clot. When either of these occurs, damage to brain tissue begins immediately.
    Signs, Symptoms
    Knowing the signs and symptoms of a stroke is important. Many people do not recognize they are having a stroke and seek medical help too late. Knowing the signs and symptoms of a stroke and acting on this as an emergency could help to save your life or the life of someone you love.
    What to look for:
    • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
    • Sudden severe headache with no known cause.
    • Sudden trouble with vision or seeing in one or both eyes.
    Risk Factors
    Knowing the risk factors for a stroke is an important defense in helping to prevent a stroke from ever occurring. Conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, and high cholesterol place you at higher risk for having a stroke.
    With these pre-existing health conditions, make sure you follow up with your FHN health care provider regularly and take your medication(s) exactly as prescribed.
    Knowing what your numbers are for blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol is also important. Discuss these numbers with your health care provider to determine if you are in a healthy/normal range or if you need to do anything further to keep them in control.
    Normal blood pressure is 120/80 and high blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. Total cholesterol level should be below 200; LDL (bad cholesterol) should be below 130, and HDL (good cholesterol) should be higher than 40. If you are unsure of these numbers, talk with your health care provider to see if you need to have these checked through a simple blood test.
    Page 2 of 2 - Recognizing a Stroke
    If a person is having signs and symptoms of a stroke, it is very important to get to the hospital as FAST as possible.
    Treatments for stroke are very time dependent, and for every minute that the brain goes without oxygen and blood, 2 million brain cells can die. Here is how to recognize the most common signs and symptoms of a stroke – think FAST:
    SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Does the speech sound slurred or garbled or strange?
    TIME: If you see any of these signs, call 911 and get to the nearest hospital immediately.
    There is a medication available to give to eligible patients with symptoms of an ischemic stroke (clot). The medication can be given up to three hours from the time the stroke symptoms start in patients who are eligible based on other risk factors. In some patients, advanced procedures may also be indicated to treat their stroke, so don’t wait to seek help for your symptoms.
    Remember, every minute counts when dealing with a possible stroke. If a person is having stroke symptoms caused by a leaking or bleeding artery in the brain, surgical options are also possible. Time is of the essence, so do not delay if a person has the signs or symptoms of a stroke, call 911 and get to the hospital FAST.
    Tracy Love, RN, BSN is the FHN stroke program coordinator at FHN Memorial Hospital. To learn more about Stroke Care at FHN please visit our website at fhn.org.