Healthwise [Summer 1997]

              The Moses H. Cone
Memorial Hospital
Stroke awareness is
Stroke is the leading cause of
disability in the United States. It
affects 550,000 Americans
annually and is the third
leading single cause of death. In
the Southern Coastal Plain
states which include North
Carolina - dubbed the "Stroke
Belt" - the death rate is an
alarming 33 percent higher. Yet,
17 percent of Americans cannot
name a single sign of stroke,
according to a 1996 study
sponsored by the National
Stroke Association.
Research is progressing on
effective stroke treatments, but
an understanding of the condition and preventive measures
may be the best way to protect
yourself.
Causes
A stroke is a brain attack - the
brain's version of a heart attack.
Strokes cause disability or death
by cutting off blood flow to the
brain. Ischemic strokes, which
account for 80 percent of
strokes, are caused by blood
clots that develop in the arteries
leading from the heart to the
brain, or fatty deposits that clog
blood vessels supplying blood to
the brain. Hemorrhagic strokes
are caused by the rupture of a
blood vessel and subsequent
bleeding in the brain.
Classic symptoms
The warning signs of a stroke
are often subtle. But waiting too
first step to prevention
long to seek medical attention
may be devastating. Catherine
Weymann, MD, a neurologist
with Guilford Neurologic
Associates in Greensboro, said
"One typical pattern of stroke is
a sudden, distinct abnormality
on one side of the body or an
abnormality involving speech."
Stroke symptoms
include:
• sudden
weakness
and/or
numbness
• speech
impairment
• loss of balance
• sudden, severe
headaches
• sudden
dimness
• loss of vision
Symptoms include:
• sudden weakness, numbness
or paralysis of the face, arm
or leg, especially on one side
of the body
• speech impairment, including inability to formulate and
understand words
• loss of balance (especially
along with other warning
signs)
• sudden, severe headaches
with no apparent cause
• sudden dimness or loss of
vision in one or both eyes
If you experience any of
these symptoms, Weymann
advised contacting your
physician immediately.
Some stroke patients
experience the warning signs as
a transient ischemic attack
(TIA), or "mini-stroke," which
may last from a few minutes to
several hours and cause no
permanent damage. Prompt
medical treatment for a mini-
stroke can prevent major brain
damage or death from a full
stroke later.
Medical response
Treatment is individualized,
depending on the patient's
situation. For both ischemic
and hemorrhagic strokes,
treatment involves careful
control of blood pressure.
Patients experiencing TIA often
receive medication that prevents
the blood from forming a blood
clot. In more severe cases,
surgical removal of the arterial
blockage may be needed.
Drug therapy
Research is progressing on
several breakthrough stroke
treatments. It may be years
before the treatments are widely
available, but they could
revolutionize the treatment of
stroke patients.
A widely used heart attack
medicine, tissue-plasminogen
continued on page 3
Summer 1997
INSIDE
Choose healthy
summer too"
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