Will I Get A Stroke? Stroke Risk Awareness

A stroke can be a very devastating event; it can even lead to death. What most people are afraid of is not necessarily dying but rather surviving with severe disability. Whereas some people may recover fully after a stroke others might suffer from the effects for the rest of their lives. They might become bed-bound, unable to swallow, unable to speak and with severe damage to their cognition (vascular dementia).

Strokes are "brain attacks"

What is a stroke? 

Simply put a stroke is a “brain attack”. There is either lack of blood flow to areas of the brain (called ischemic stroke) or a sudden brain bleed (hemorrhagic stroke).

What are some of the symptoms of a stroke?

As per the National Stroke Association (NSA) these are the symptoms of stroke:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on 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

Other important but less common symptoms include:

• Sudden nausea, and vomiting - different from a viral illness because of how fast it begins (minutes or hours vs. several days)
• Brief loss of consciousness or a period of decreased consciousness (fainting, confusion, convulsions or coma)

If you have any of these symptoms or see them in someone else, call 911!

Treatment can be more effective if given quickly. 

Every minute counts!

What is a TIA or a mini-stroke?

TIA stands for transient ischemic attack and it basically means that stroke-like symptoms appear and then spontaneously resolve without causing an actual infarction of the brain (Easton et al in Stroke 2009).

Up until recently the definition included the time window of 24 hours: if your neurological findings resolved within 24 hours this was considered a TIA.

We now recognize that even 2 hours of neurological symptoms may lead to actual damages in your brain.

Additionally, a TIA is a serious warning sign that a larger stroke may occur within the next 24-72 hours!

You may need brain imaging when stroke is suspected.

Can I do anything to prevent having a stroke? 

Yes, you most definitively can!

The majority of strokes are potentially preventable!

How do I prevent a stroke?

Know your risk factors and adjust your lifestyle!

Some Risk factors for stroke that you have no control over:

• Your age (the older you are the higher your risk)
• Your gender (more women have strokes than men per year, partly because women live longer)
• Your race (African Americans have highest risk)
• Family or own history of stroke / TIA

STOP smoking!

Risk factors for stroke that you can control or treat: 

• Smoking
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Obesity
• High Blood Pressure
• Diabetes
• High Cholesterol
• Atrial Fibrillation
• Atherosclerosis

Click here to access the Stroke Risk Scorecard of the National Stroke Association. 

If you think you may have any of these risk factors, speak to your physician about it and then work with your physician to reduce your stroke risk.

• STOP smoking, if you smoke (it is recommendable for many reasons!)
• Start exercising (even if it only 30 min of brisk walking 3 times a week)
• Open a conversation about your wishes at severe illness or end of life (check blog post on documentation at end-of-life on Health Care Proxy for more info).

Make the best of the life you have!

Make the best out of the life you have! 

Be well,

Dr. B

PS: For more info check out NSA website.