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Blue Springs, MO —
May is national Stroke Month, and as the title of this column suggests, there is a big connection between your heart and brain. When your brain doesn’t get the blood flow it needs, it begins to malfunction. You begin to experience problems thinking, with memory and your ability to process information and make decisions. If blood flow to part of the brain is abruptly blocked, you are likely to experience a stroke.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. Stroke ranks fourth, (down from third recently) but it remains the leading cause of severe, long-term disability. As a stroke navigator at St. Mary’s Medical Center, I take some comfort in the latest statistic, as it means more Americans are taking to heart, (pun intended) the connection between the heart and the brain, and how to lower their chances of becoming a stroke victim.
It can take years of unhealthy habits that lead to narrowing of the blood vessels, which reduces blood flow to the brain and leads to hardening of the arteries of the heart and the brain.
At St. Mary’s Medical Center Stroke Center, our focus is Stroke Prevention Stroke Reversals and Rehabilitation.
Prevention
Part of my job is education, both to our patients and the community. The better educated our community is, the fewer stroke patients we will treat. Studies show that a large percentage of strokes can be prevented by working with a health care professional to reduce personal risk. It is important to manage personal risks and know how to recognize and respond to stroke. How can you do that? There are several keys:
■ Know your blood pressure.
■ Identify atrial fibrillation (Afib). (Afib is an abnormal heartbeat that can signifantly increase stroke risk.
■ Stop smoking.
■ Limit alcohol use.
■ Know your cholesterol levels. (See a doctor if your total cholesterol level is more than 200.)
■ Control diabetes. (Many people with diabetes have health problems that are also stroke risk factors.)
■ Diet and exercise. (Excess weight strains the circulatory system.)
■ Be aware of Transient Ischemic Attack. (A TIA is a temporary episode of stroke-like symptoms that can last a few minutes to 24 hours but usually causes no permanent damage or disability. The symptoms of a TIA and a stroke are the same. Recognizing and treating a TIA can reduce your stroke risk. 30 percent of patients who had a stroke report having at least one TIA in the weeks and months leading up to the stroke.
May is national Stroke Month, and as the title of this column suggests, there is a big connection between your heart and brain. When your brain doesn’t get the blood flow it needs, it begins to malfunction. You begin to experience problems thinking, with memory and your ability to process information and make decisions. If blood flow to part of the brain is abruptly blocked, you are likely to experience a stroke.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. Stroke ranks fourth, (down from third recently) but it remains the leading cause of severe, long-term disability. As a stroke navigator at St. Mary’s Medical Center, I take some comfort in the latest statistic, as it means more Americans are taking to heart, (pun intended) the connection between the heart and the brain, and how to lower their chances of becoming a stroke victim.
It can take years of unhealthy habits that lead to narrowing of the blood vessels, which reduces blood flow to the brain and leads to hardening of the arteries of the heart and the brain.
At St. Mary’s Medical Center Stroke Center, our focus is Stroke Prevention Stroke Reversals and Rehabilitation.
Prevention
Part of my job is education, both to our patients and the community. The better educated our community is, the fewer stroke patients we will treat. Studies show that a large percentage of strokes can be prevented by working with a health care professional to reduce personal risk. It is important to manage personal risks and know how to recognize and respond to stroke. How can you do that? There are several keys:
■ Know your blood pressure.
■ Identify atrial fibrillation (Afib). (Afib is an abnormal heartbeat that can signifantly increase stroke risk.
■ Stop smoking.
■ Limit alcohol use.
■ Know your cholesterol levels. (See a doctor if your total cholesterol level is more than 200.)
■ Control diabetes. (Many people with diabetes have health problems that are also stroke risk factors.)
■ Diet and exercise. (Excess weight strains the circulatory system.)
■ Be aware of Transient Ischemic Attack. (A TIA is a temporary episode of stroke-like symptoms that can last a few minutes to 24 hours but usually causes no permanent damage or disability. The symptoms of a TIA and a stroke are the same. Recognizing and treating a TIA can reduce your stroke risk. 30 percent of patients who had a stroke report having at least one TIA in the weeks and months leading up to the stroke.
Stroke Reversal
Strokes may be one of two types: ischemic or hemorrhagic. About 80 percent, are of the ischemic type, or a constriction of blood supply to the brain such as a blood clot. Hemorrhagic strokes make up the other 20 percent and involve bleeding within the brain.
If we can get a victim of stroke to the center within three hours, we can give the patient tPA and that may significantly decrease the damage caused by stroke.
tPA (Tissue plasminogen activator) is a protein that breaks down blood clots. In cases of bleeding in the brain, tPA would not be used, and other procedures would be started.
In determining if you’re dealing with a stroke, think F.A.S.T! F.A.S.T. is an acronym for things to check in a suspected stroke victim:
F – Face / Does the face droop on one side when asked to smile?
A – Arm / After raising both arms, does one of the arms drift downwards?
S – Speech / After repeating a simple phrase, does the persons speech sound slurred or strange?
T – Time / If any of these symptoms are observed, call 911 to begin receiving treatment as quickly as possible and to prevent further damage.
Rehabilitation
Stroke rehabilitation begins the moment one becomes a stroke patient at St. Mary’s. Rehabilitation uses a team approach including physicians, nurses and therapists dedicated to returning patients to their optimal level of function.
As a Navigator, I help facilitate communication between doctors and families to ensure patients receive the best outcome for function lost.
Our patients are also encouraged to join our stroke support group, which meets the first Tuesday of each month.
Angela Hawkins is the Stroke Nurse Navigator at St. Mary’s Stroke Center and can be reached at 816-655-5563. To register for St. Mary’s Stroke Support Group, call 816-655-5515.
