Stroke Treatment
Remember these "three Rs" about stroke and you may help prevent disability and even save a life.
- Reduce the risk for stroke.
- Recognize symptoms.
- Respond by getting emergency treatment quickly.
The symptoms of stroke include:
- Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arms or legs Ð especially on just one side of the body.
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause.
Call 911 immediately
Sixty minutes: The most important thing to remember if you have ANY stroke symptoms is to get immediate treatment. Numerous studies have shown that the clot-busting drug t-PA, if administered within three hours of the first symptoms, is very successful at reversing the stroke and preventing long-term brain damage and disability.
To be properly evaluated and receive this treatment, patients need to get to the hospital within 60 minutes of when they first experience any signs of stroke. The treatment works only on one kind of stroke Ð an ischemic stroke, the most common kind — in which there is a blockage caused by a clot. To determine the type of stroke, patients need to receive a CT scan and be thoroughly evaluated at the hospital before any treatment is administered.
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Sometimes, stroke symptoms can be subtle and may come and go quickly. This is known as a TIA (transient ischemic attack) or mini-stroke and may be followed within hours by a major, disabling stroke. About 10 percent of strokes are preceded by TIAs. Always pay attention to ANY stroke symptoms, no matter how slight and get medical attention right away. A TIA may be a signal of serious vascular disease that can be properly treated before a major stroke occurs.
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There have been many medical advances in helping people recover from a stroke. Drugs and physical therapy can help patients improve balance and coordination. Intensive speech therapy can help with language problems. And Occupational therapy can help patients re-learn everyday tasks such as bathing, dressing and cooking.
Many therapies start in the hospital or a rehab center, and continue at home. Everyone's progress is different and some people recover more quickly than others. But most regain at least some of the functions that they lost. Over one million Americans each year report difficulty with functional limitations and limits on daily living activities as a result of stroke.
Sources: American Stroke Association and National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke.
