What is a Stroke?


What is a Stroke?

Blood Flow Blocked in the Brain
courtesy of American Heart Association
A person can suffer a stroke when blood flow and oxygen are cut-off, cells can die and depending on the area, time and amount of the brain affected will determine the extent of disability. A STROKE is a life-or-death situation and needs immediate medical attention. Call 911!

Common terms to know:
Ischemic Stroke ~ The arteries to the brain become blocked and/or narrowed cutting off blood flow.
Hemorrhagic Stroke ~ The arteries to the brain can rupture and bleed.
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) ~ This is a TEMPORARY interruption of blood flow to the brain.

Common Signs & Symptoms CAN include:
***Sudden numbness to the extremities, often affecting one side of the body.
***Sudden confusion and difficulty speaking.
***Difficulty walking and/or staying balanced.
***Sudden severe headache.

F.A.S.T. FACE, Ask the person to smile, is there facial droop?
ARMS, Can he raise his arms with no downward drift?
SPEECH, Are his words slurred?
TIME, Note the time of the first symptom and call 911 immediately.


for more information

Comments

Post a Comment

Please feel free to add your experiences, helpful advice & comments.
All SPAM, Vulgarity and Off-Topic comments will be deleted at my discretion in order to keep this blog helpful to others.

Popular posts from this blog

"Aging" in Place - Being able to live at home

Image
If you were lucky enough to buy a home to raise a family in you were probably fairly agile and feeling invincible. Now that the family is grown you might be looking to spend your retirement years in the same house with all of your wonderful memories.

That was the way we looked at our home, it was the place we were going to raise our children, pay off the mortgage and live out the rest of our days. However several years ago, ironically for a newspaper assignment, I researched and wrote an article on "Aging in Place", I should have memorized my own words.

While I was conscious of some of our lovely home's limitations, we just weren't there YET to worry about... but as you read in my intro, medical disaster struck and so long as Mark had to rely on a wheelchair he wasn't able to come home.

(the following applies to private residences — house or apartment)
Believe it or not stairs are an easy obstacle to get around (in many cases) — there are (relatively costly) feas…
Read more

Fun Activities from the Flint Rehab blog

Image
13 Fun Activities for Stroke Patients
That Improve Movement and Brain Power
Fun activities for stroke patients are a great way to keep motivation high. If your motivation to recover is getting low, try switching things up by adding some of the following activities to your day. The best part is that these activities double as informal therapy, which means that your brain heals while you’re having fun. Talk about a win-win! Now, let’s get into the list...  (read more on the Flint Rehab blog)

Read more