If you don’t treat it as an emergency, you could be allowing a stroke to kill 32,000 brain cells by the second. If the TIA symptoms pass, it can trick you into thinking you’re going to be fine. You may not be — what you may think of as a regular stroke can follow within a day or two for a TIA patient. About 1 in 5 people who have a suspected TIA will have a stroke within 90 days, according to the American Stroke Association. 

Like a stroke, a TIA is caused by a blood clot or narrowed artery. Unlike a stroke, the blockage of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances clears relatively quickly. But the source of the blockage is still in your system and could easily restrict blood flow again, causing a future stroke.

Quick stroke treatment for TIA that helps allow for a steady blood supply in the brain can mean the difference between full recovery and lifelong complications.

“Anyone who experiences stroke symptoms needs immediate evaluation. The sooner the patient receives treatment, the better the chance of having a good recovery. We are only able to offer medical treatment for acute stroke if the person comes to the hospital within 4 1/2 hours from when they start to experience symptoms,” said Danny R. Rose Jr., M.D., a Norton Neuroscience Institute neurologist specializing in stroke. “People should not wait to see if their symptoms get better on their own. Even if you have symptoms that resolved at home, you still need to seek care immediately, as your symptoms may come back at any time.”

If physicians find that your symptoms were a TIA and not a stroke, they can take steps to help ward off the stroke that may be coming.

TIAs can be difficult to diagnose and require close monitoring. DNV has certified Norton Brownsboro Hospital as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, providing the highest-level treatment for serious stroke events — with the resources, staff and training to handle complex cases.

TIA risk factors

TIA risk factors are very similar to stroke risk. Addressing factors you can control is an important part of stroke prevention.

• High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a one of the top risk factors for a TIA. High blood pressure can weaken blood vessels, causing ruptures or blockages in the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the brain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Atrial fibrillation. This irregular heartbeat condition increases your risk of developing blood clots in the heart that can break off and follow the bloodstream to the brain. 
• Carotid artery stenosis is a narrowing of a carotid artery. These arteries run through your neck and supply blood to the brain. If narrowed, or clogged with plaque, they restrict blood flow and can trigger a TIA.
• Diabetes and the associated high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and increase risk of forming blood clots.
• High cholesterol can contribute to a buildup of plaque in the arteries, which can restrict blood flow or break off as clots that can travel to the brain.
• Smoking significantly increases your risk of a TIA or stroke. Smoking narrows your arteries, increasing the likelihood of a clot.

The post There’s nothing mini about a ‘mini stroke’ appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

Nearly 1 in 5 women have migraine three times the rate for men. In the United States alone, 28 million women experience migraine.

There are two types of migraine: with or without aura.

Migraine with aura or MA is linked to a higher risk for ischemic stroke and heart attack. An ischemic stroke is caused by a blood clot in the brain. Hemorrhagic stroke, the other major type of stroke, is caused by a leaking blood vessel.

Migraine aura – flashes of light, blind spots or other changes in vision – typically precedes the headache pain. Migraine aura symptoms usually strike less than an hour before migraine’s intense head pain, nausea and heightened sensory sensitivity.

Migraine without aura does not seem to pose the higher stroke or heart attack risk that migraine with aura does. Most people with migraine do not have aura. Some people get both types of migraine.

Studies of women with MA attacks found the risk for stroke is independent of typical heart disease risk factors like age, diabetes and high blood pressure. Research looking at data from a number of studies found migraine is associated with a 1.5-fold increased ischemic stroke risk.

The combination of smoking and MA significantly increases the risk of having a stroke. Oral contraceptive use increases the risk even more.

Women who smoke and have migraine with aura should avoid oral contraceptives that contain estrogen, according to Dr. Plato, because the combined risks from all three increase the risk of stroke significantly.

The link between migraine and heart disease does not mean migraine is the cause of a stroke or heart attack. According to Dr. Plato, the higher risk is likely the result of several factors. Possible contributors include:

• The use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat migraine
• Inflammation
• Issues with the lining of blood vessels
• Lifestyle factors related to migraine, including reduced physical activity
• Genetics
• A common condition called patent foramen ovale, a hole between the left and right upper chambers of the heart
• Increased risk for a tear in an artery in the neck

An ischemic stroke is caused by a plaque buildup on the wall of a blood vessel breaking off and forming a clot that blocks blood flow to the brain. Cardiovascular disease also can contribute to a heart attack as the plaque blocks blood flow to the heart muscle.

For some, stroke symptoms and a migraine attack may seem similar. However, they are very different conditions. While stroke is caused by interrupted blood flow to the brain, migraine is thought to have more to do with chemical compounds and hormones. Rarely, a migraine attack appears to be associated with an ischemic stroke (migrainous stroke or migrainous infarction). 

Dr. Plato’s advice to patients is to work on lifestyle changes that decrease stroke and heart attack risks, including regular aerobic (cardiovascular) exercise, a healthy diet and not smoking.

Since the frequency of migraine aura attacks appears to be associated with higher cardiovascular risk, migraine preventive treatment might be beneficial, according to Dr. Plato.

Younger women shouldn’t be overly concerned about the migraine with aura stroke risk or heart attack. For women under 50, even those who have MA, the odds of having a stroke is lower than being struck by lightning.

The post The migraine with aura stroke risk and ways to lessen it appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

When a younger person has a stroke, it can upend their life as a romantic partner, as a parent and as a breadwinner.

A young stroke survivor may faces physical limitations they didn’t have before, which can affect their ability to work, to be intimate with a partner or to be as active as they’ve been in the past. This all affects their sense of who they are.

“In the blink of an eye, a stroke can turn a person’s identity inside out. The roles we filled that gave our lives meaning no longer look the same,” said L. Samuel Handshoe, D.O., a neurologist and stroke specialist with Norton Neuroscience Institute.

Physical and emotional recovery from a stroke can continue for years, with the help of physical, occupational, speech and emotional therapists.

“Even if it’s years later, you can ask your primary care provider for an order to be evaluated for physical, occupational, speech therapy or any other specialty therapy. You don’t have to be hospitalized to be referred for therapy,” Dr. Handshoe said.

In addition to the physical trauma, a stroke often results in anxiety, which can be expressed as lack of concentration, restlessness or anger, and depression, which can show up as fatigue, a sense of heaviness or lack of motivation.

A stroke survivor may look the same on the outside, but may be struggling and may be reluctant to ask family and friends for help.

If you’re recovering from a stroke, it’s important to seek emotional support by meeting with a therapist, by joining a support group or getting some other help. The Norton Neuroscience Resource Center has resources for stroke survivors and their families, including education on managing a stroke and support groups.

Having a stroke at a younger age is unexpected and adds a sense of uncertainty that wasn’t there before. If it happens to you, support can help you focus on your health going forward. Your family still needs your emotional support, even if other roles have changed during your recovery.

Recovering from a stroke can mean accepting limitations, or reframing them. Rather than self-isolating and shying away from social life, family and hobbies, it’s often possible to do things differently. Instead of running, walking may be possible. Instead of gardening, just getting outside can provide a similar enjoyment from nature.

Sexual dysfunction is common after a stroke. It’s important for stroke survivors to communicate honestly with their partners and, if necessary, consider redefining what intimacy and sexual satisfaction looks like.

Having one stroke puts you at greater risk for another stroke. If you’re a young stroke survivor, you can reduce risk factors by quitting smoking, being active, eating well, having regular health checkups with a health care provider and taking medications as needed for stroke risk factors such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

The post Strokes can happen at any age appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

In women, stroke warning signs can be more subtle and may not appear serious enough to seek medical attention, putting the person experiencing them in grave danger. Emergency stroke treatment can mean the difference between life and death or full recovery and permanent disability.

Women are more likely than men to show generalized symptoms that may not correlate directly to a specific brain function. Women are more likely to experience symptoms such as fatigue, confusion or overall weakness rather than on just one side of the body, according to the American Heart Association.

Any sudden change should be noted, and, unfortunately, women are often busy caring for others and may overlook symptoms or dismiss them as minor.

“Women are prone to having unique symptoms for heart attack or stroke. Understanding these nuanced stroke warning signs can lead to faster treatment and better outcomes,” said Tamika M. Burrus, M.D., a neurologist focusing on stroke care at Norton Neuroscience Institute.

Stroke symptoms more common in women

• Confusion
• Fatigue
• Generalized weakness
• Headache
• Loss of consciousness
• Mental status change such as irritability, anger, anxiety or depression

Women may dismiss symptoms such as generalized weakness as minor. Women who get migraine headaches may assume a sudden severe headache isn’t out of the ordinary for them. Additionally, women may be less likely to have some of the more obvious stroke symptoms such as difficulty talking, walking normally and keeping their balance.

Women affected by stroke more than men

Women have a higher risk than men to have a stroke and are more likely to have one at a younger age, according to a review of research, published in Journal of Stroke. In middle age, men tend to have more strokes than women.

There are two types of hemorrhagic strokes, and both are caused by a ruptured blood vessel. The more common type is due to elevated blood pressure. A more rare hemorrhagic stroke called a subarachnoid hemorrhage often is caused by a ruptured aneurysm. Aneurysms are also more common in women, and having decreased estrogen levels after menopause is suspected to increase risk of aneurysm.

A 2021 study in Canada, published in the journal Stroke, found that while women had an increased risk of stroke from a subarachnoid hemorrhage, they had lower risk of the other type of hemorrhagic stroke, ischemic stroke, and transient ischemic attack (sometimes called a ministroke).

In an ischemic stroke, blood flow to the brain is blocked by a blood clot that broke free and traveled to the brain or developed within the blood vessel. Without blood supply, brain cells start dying. The more brain cells that are lost, the greater the danger. That’s why neurologists often advise that “time saved is brain saved.”

Black and Hispanic women 70 or older have a significantly higher risk of stroke compared with white women.

Promptly recognizing that a stroke is underway can be critical to a successful recovery. Every minute counts when restoring blood flow to the brain.

Stroke treatment commonly includes an infusion of tissue plasminogen activator, known as tPA, a medicine that breaks up the blood clot blocking blood flow to the brain; or a minimally invasive procedure to mechanically remove the blood clot from the blood vessel.

Studies, including a 2022 review of published research, found that men and women were both likely to show stroke symptoms that suggested a specific area of the brain had been damaged: difficulty controlling motor skills and speaking, for example. Women, however, more often showed generalized symptoms that were less-obvious stroke warning signs.

Common stroke risk factors

• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Diabetes
• Atrial fibrillation
• Dyslipidemia (high cholesterol or fat in the blood)
• Migraine, which is more common in women
• Obesity
• Smoking

Stroke risk factors specific to women

• Pregnancy (maternal stroke)
• Preeclampsia and gestational high blood pressure (during pregnancy)
• Peripartum cardiomyopathy (pregnancy-related heart failure)
• Oral contraceptives
• Hormone therapy

The post Warning signs of a stroke in a woman appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

You can improve your odds significantly by knowing the risk factors and making healthy lifestyle choices.

Strokes can happen at any age but are more common the older you get, doubling each decade after age 55.

Stroke risk is greater among people who smoke or who are inactive, and among people with high blood pressure, diabetes, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), atrial fibrillation and sleep apnea.

“It’s important everyone takes the risk of stroke seriously,” said Tamika M. Burrus, M.D., a neurologist and stroke specialist with Norton Neuroscience Institute. “Stroke is the fifth-leading killer in the United States, and the leading cause of serious long-term disability.”

Your lifestyle makes a big difference in your chance of having a stroke, regardless of whether there is stroke in your family. 

High blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for stroke, after age.

Medications can lower your blood pressure. Your diet can, too. Eating fruits and vegetables is good, as is lowering the amount of salt in the food you eat.

Diabetes is another risk factor for stroke. Diabetes combined with high blood pressure gives you an even greater chance for a stroke. If you have diabetes, lowering your high blood pressure will reduce the risk of stroke by more than half.

Physical inactivity puts you at higher risk for stroke. Exercise will lower the risk. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous exercise — 300 minutes is better still.

A poor diet also raises your chance of having a stroke. Hyperlipidemia, one of the primary risk factors for stroke, simply means an abnormally high concentration of fats in the blood.

Instead of fried foods, try to choose foods like fish with so-called healthy fats. Simply reducing the amount of soda or other sugar-sweetened beverages  also will lessen the odds you will have a stroke.

Almost 1 in 5 people who are active smokers will have a stroke, and the more you smoke, the higher the risk. Smoking 20 cigarettes a day more than doubles your chance of a stroke. If you quit, your risk goes back to normal in two to five years.

Atrial fibrillation, or A-fib, is a type of abnormal heart rhythm that poses a risk for stroke. It’s important to talk to your health care provider to make sure it is controlled.

Obstructive sleep apnea is another risk factor. Ways to lower the risk include getting off sedative medications, avoiding alcohol and buying a wedge that will put you in a more supportive position to breathe better when you’re sleeping.

Some people experience stroke symptoms that come and go. When you experience temporary stroke symptoms, it’s called a transient ischemic attack or TIA.

It’s very important to get TIA checked out by a health care provider. Of people who have TIA, 1 in 10 will have a stroke within 90 days.

If someone in your family has had a stroke, they should work on reducing their odds of having another one. Having one stroke also puts you at higher risk for another one. Norton Neuroscience Institute offers a stroke prevention class that can help. 

It’s important family and friends are familiar with the symptoms of a stroke: balance difficulties, eyesight changes, facial weakness, arm weakness and speech difficulties, or sudden severe headache.

Strokes result from blood clots and bleeds in the brain. When that happens, part of the brain does not get enough oxygen and brain cells can die. 

“We know time is of the essence. When someone has a stroke, part of their brain is not getting enough oxygen, and they will lose 2 million brain cells a minute,” Dr. Burrus said. “The more time that passes, the more damage is being done in the brain.”

The post With or without a family history of stroke, lifestyle habits affect risks appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

You can have a stroke and not know it. These so-called silent strokes can result in no noticeable symptoms at all, but they are not harmless.

According to the American Stroke Association, silent strokes raise your risk for having a more damaging, symptomatic stroke in the future. They also increase your chance of developing dementia.

Most strokes — including silent strokes — are caused when a clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain. As a result, blood and oxygen don’t reach part of the brain, and nearby brain cells die.

“If the area of the brain that is damaged is small or happens to occur in a part of the brain that doesn’t control any vital functions like speech or mobility, the stroke can go unnoticed,” said Tamika M. Burrus, M.D., a neurologist and stroke specialist with Norton Neuroscience Institute.

The way most people find out they’ve had a silent stroke is when they happen to have brain imaging such as an MRI or CT scan for another condition and it reveals the small areas of the brain that have been damaged.

Even though someone having a silent stroke may not realize what has happened, these strokes may result in subtle issues with thinking and mobility. Though a single silent stroke may appear harmless, the neurological damage from several silent strokes can add up.

Silent strokes put you at greater risk for vascular dementia, which can cause memory issues, changes in the way you walk, getting lost in places familiar to you, trouble making decisions, laughing or crying at inappropriate times, and losing bladder or bowel control.

Silent strokes are surprisingly common. An estimated 1 in 4 people over age 80 have had at least one silent stroke. If you’ve had several silent strokes, you may begin noticing neurological issues such as having trouble remembering things or concentrating.

Risks for silent strokes — high blood pressure, smoking, heart disease and diabetes — are the same as risks for strokes that come with symptoms. Also, atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat more common in people over 65, triples the chance of having a silent stroke.

If silent strokes are discovered, treatment can be the same as for people who have had more harmful strokes. This can include blood thinners and cholesterol medications to lower harmful low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol, which can reduce the chance of future strokes.

Getting regular exercise, limiting alcohol intake, lowering your salt intake and following a diet that includes whole grains, fruits, nuts and vegetables can lower your chance of having any kind of stroke.

According to the American Stroke Association, for every symptomatic stroke, there are about 10 that are silent and occur without the person knowing it.

“Given what we know now about how common silent strokes are and that the harm from them can accumulate over time, adopting positive lifestyle changes becomes more important than ever,” Dr. Burrus said.

The post You can have a stroke and not realize it appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

“My only goal that day was to finish,” Russell said. “I got super emotional for the last 100 yards, because I could see the finish line and I knew I achieved it.”

Years ago, this would not have been the same feat.

Russell was used to running half-marathons. He’d completed the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon four years straight from 2015 to 2018. He knew what his body could handle.

But this race was much different.

Emotions overcame the 31-year-old father of two, because he thought back to where he was almost a year earlier — lying in a hospital bed, barely able to stand, let alone walk.

Thirteen miles, at that time, seemed impossible. He’d just had a stroke.

‘Today’s the day; something doesn’t feel right’

Russell woke up on Nov. 30, 2022, and immediately knew something was off.

“I woke up [the day of my stroke] and I remember telling my wife, ‘Today’s the day, I’m going to have a migraine today; something doesn’t feel right,’” Russell said.

He called off work and stayed home to lie low. He hoped the rest would help relieve the migraine. However, after helping his wife and children out the door to work and day care, nausea overtook him and he ran to the bathroom. After vomiting, Russell couldn’t stand up.

Panicking, he crawled to his cell phone in the living room and called his father. Within minutes, Russell and his dad were in an ambulance on their way to Norton Audubon Hospital.

“I called [my dad] first, before 911,” Russell said. “But that was the telltale sign something was wrong. I was scared, because I was 30 and couldn’t stand up, but I knew I was going to be in the right hands eventually.”

Russell was admitted and treated for a vertebral artery dissection, or a tear in the tissue layers of the artery. In Russell’s case, this occurred in his neck. Doctors believed his violent vomiting caused his neck to bend in a way that allowed the artery to tear. Furthermore, as Russell’s vessel tried to repair itself, his blood clotted and a part of the clot broke off and traveled to the cerebellum, causing a stroke.

Although rare, vertebral artery dissections are one of the more common causes of stroke in patients younger than 45.

“I was lying on my side,” Russell said. “And the doctor’s talking to me, but kind of through me to my parents and wife. And my parents said, just as calm as could be, I rolled over after the doctor walked out and said, ‘Did they just say stroke?’ That’s when the wheels started turning [about what happened to me].”

A few days later, on Dec. 2, Russell’s prognosis worsened.

His brain began to swell, and he needed emergency surgery. That’s when he met Tom L. Yao, M.D., endovascular neurosurgeon at Norton Neuroscience Institute.

“It’s like when you sprain your ankle,” Dr. Yao said. “It doesn’t hurt the first day, [but] it hurts the second and third days, [because] that’s when the swelling happens. And so for him, that swelling occurred and it blocked some fluid passages.”

Because of the swelling, Dr. Yao needed to perform a decompressive craniectomy in two parts. The first part, performed at Norton Audubon Hospital, included inserting a tube — called a ventriculostomy — to drain the cerebrospinal fluid from the brain to an external bag, allowing immediate relief of pressure. The second stage of the surgery is more permanent and included removing a window of bone from the skull and opening the covering of the brain, allowing it to swell outward, thus protecting the brain stem and saving Russell’s life.

First, though, Russell needed an ambulance ride across town to Norton Brownsboro Hospital, a certified Comprehensive Stroke Center with specialized equipment for the delicate cranial surgery. Before the trip, Dr. Yao made sure to let Russell know he would be with him every step of the way.

“I wasn’t completely under,” Russell said. “And I remember he tapped me on the shoulder a few times and said, ‘Mr. Deakins, Dr. Yao here. I can’t finish the surgery here. We need to go to Brownsboro.’ Then he said, ‘I’m going to be there.’”

When Russell arrived at Norton Brownsboro Hospital, and before he was placed under general anesthesia, he was tapped on the shoulder again.

“He said, ‘Dr. Yao here; I told you I’d be here for you,’” Russell said. “I trusted him. I trusted everything he said, but he took the time to prove that he was there for me.”

“I think part of it, is when people are going through all of these things, I see those types of situations a lot,” Dr. Yao said. “So I can see and understand what they might be going through. But for them, it’s the first time they’ve ever gone through it. And if you imagine, that’s nerve-wracking. Your body’s not working the way it wants to. So I like to live by the rule, ‘you treat others like you want to be treated.’ And so understanding that, it’s just what you do.”

‘It’s joyful. It is recovery.’

Surgery was a success, and Russell began his long journey of rehabilitation.

He spent a few weeks in the hospital, learning to walk again. Eventually, he was transferred to an outpatient rehab facility, where he rebuilt the strength in his body to once again become independent.

In February, while still weak and using a walker, Russell set a lofty goal for himself.

“Post-stroke, I asked my physical therapist if 10 months out was achievable to do a half-marathon, and I believe she said it was a good long-term goal,” Russell said. “So I signed up that week.”

He began to train, slowly.

In May, Russell returned to work full time, while continuing to stay active. He eventually learned to walk without help, and could see his goals more clearly than ever.

Then in October, 11 months after surgery, he put on his runner’s bib and completed his goal. He crossed the finish line at the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon.

“It makes me happy,” Russell said. “It’s joyful. It is recovery. [I wanted] to prove to myself that I could do it, to set a goal and achieve it.”

“It’s just quite amazing to me,” Dr. Yao said. “Russell and his family are all just wonderful people, and I know how much he’s been working. When you see somebody that has gone through so much adversity accomplish what they want to do, it’s unexplainable and very heartwarming. And it just shows him and his family that the sky’s the limit. You can come back from the brink of death to accomplish your goals, whatever they are.”

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“When I was in the hospital, one of the things I always wanted to know is, who can I talk to? Who would understand what I’m thinking? Who would understand my feelings? I’m blind; I was paralyzed. I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t talk,” Christine said.

“I immediately thought, why me? At the time, my baby was only 2, and my husband —  we’d only been married four years. And I’m like, ‘Wow, already this is the end.’”

But, it wasn’t the end. Christine began to make a slow but miraculous recovery. During this time, she started searching for a community — anyone who might be in a similar stage in life and could understand what she was going through. She didn’t know anyone locally, so she turned to social media, searching for other young stroke survivors on Instagram.

“I discovered that there was this whole community out there. These people were all over the world, but there was not anyone where I could pick up the phone and I could call. And I always asked why. So I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to create something. I want to create something for people that I wish I would’ve had.’”

Christine created A Stroke of Grace, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to support other stroke survivors. The organization offers virtual support groups twice a month along with education and awareness for stroke prevention.

“Once I started taking my problems off of me and started thinking about how I could help someone else, immediately, I started getting better,” she said.

To support as many stroke survivors as possible, both in Louisville and across the country,  Christine teamed up with Rosa Hart, BSN, R.N., SCRN, the stroke nurse navigator with Norton Neuroscience Institute Resource Center. The Center supports stroke patients and their families with appointments and connects them to free resources within Norton Neuroscience Institute and in the community, including educational, therapeutic and exercise classes, plus nutritional counseling and in-person and virtual support groups.

“I am so passionate about stroke care because I have seen such great things happen,” Rosa said. “That gives me hope that even though I have seen really bad things happen, I also know that if we keep trying, we will see more of those miraculous outcomes.”

Rosa and Christine met through volunteer work and immediately recognized each other’s passion for helping others with stroke prevention and recognizing the signs and symptoms.

“We wanted to team up to get the message out about how to prevent stroke and address it as well as how to help people who have experienced stroke to have the best outcome and quality of life as possible,” Rosa said.

According to Christine, Norton Neuroscience Institute and Norton Neuroscience Institute Resource Center offers something more to its patients — and that is hope. “It is so rich with all the information, everything that it can do to help you, to support you, to encourage you. It’s almost like it gives you a big hug,” Christine said. “It tells you that, ‘We’re here to support you, and we’re always going to be with you throughout this journey.’”

The post Stroke survivor teams up with Norton Neuroscience Institute to support others appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

One evening in November 2021, after having dinner with his family, Jonathan fell asleep on the couch. He woke up in the middle of the night and felt dizzy, but went back to sleep. When morning came, Jonathan awoke again. Now he couldn’t see. He tried to walk. He couldn’t. He fell to the floor.

Jonathan called out to his family for help. They checked his blood pressure, which was very high (269/239, he said). The next call was to 911. The emergency medical technicians suspected he was having a stroke and took him to Norton Audubon Hospital.

Strokes are killing more Black men

Black Americans are 50% more likely to have a stroke than others in the U.S. and Black men are 70% more likely to die from a stroke as compared to non-Hispanic whites.

Two out of three Black Americans have at least one risk factor for stroke, according to the American Stroke Association.

Stroke risk factors

• High blood pressure
• Being overweight
• Diabetes
• High cholesterol
• Sickle cell anemia
• Smoking
• Stress

In addition to grief and the stress of losing his job, Jonathan had risk factors from being diabetic and overweight.

“Mr. House, in particular, really exemplifies a lot of the challenges as far as stroke risks with the African-American community,” said Danny R. Rose, M.D., neurologist and stroke specialist at the Norton Neuroscience Institute. 

A quick stroke diagnosis

Jonathan arrived at the emergency department at Norton Audubon Hospital, which is a Primary Stroke Center certified by DNV. Unfortunately, since his first symptoms had appeared more than four and a half hours earlier, it was not an option to treat him with tPA, a drug used to break up a blood clot and restore blood flow to the brain.

Jonathan’s stroke was unusual in the sense that the blocked blood vessel in his brain did not show up in diagnostic images.

Dr. Rose entered the room shortly after Jonathan arrived and made the diagnosis. Jonathan remembers their conversation:

Dr. Rose: “I see what’s wrong.”

Jonathan: “You haven’t even looked at me yet.”

Dr. Rose: “You had a stroke that’s affecting your eyes.”

Jonathan: “What do you mean?”

Dr. Rose: “You’ve got one eye going this way and one eye going that way.”

Jonathan remained under the watchful care of Dr. Rose and the stroke team for a week. Then he was cleared to go home. He was very pleased with his care.

“All the doctors and staff were beautiful,” Jonathan said. “They helped me get myself back together. They still call me and make sure I’m okay. And that means a lot because I’ve never been one to accept a handout. To see people that I never knew come in like they did – it’s a blessing.”

Making changes to prevent future strokes and a message for others

Jonathan and Dr. Rose talked about how Jonathan needed to make some lifestyle changes to reduce his risk of another stroke. This included eating healthier, exercising more, and working to reduce stress. Those three steps have helped Jonathan recover and find a new job. But they also gave him a different outlook on life.

“My motto is whatever’s meant to be, it’s going to be and whatever God’s got planned for me, it’s what he’s got planned for me,” he said.

Jonathan also has a message for other Black Americans

“We have to start checking our health because if you got kids and you got brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers that’s depending on you, they can’t depend on you if you’re not there,” he said. “And you can’t be no good to them if you ain’t no good to yourself.”

Although strokes are a top killer of Black men, they are treatable. Preventive care through a primary care can reduce your chance of stroke. Doctors say the most important thing you can do is have your blood pressure checked. If you have any risk factors for stroke, schedule an appointment with a primary care doctor, and then see that doctor regularly.

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Si usted o alguien con quien está experimentan síntomas de derrame cerebral o de un ataque al corazón, llame al 911 deinmediato. Los paramédicos pueden empezar a administrar un tratamiento que salve vidas en cuanto lleguen. Si está enfermo o está con alguien que lo está, tener preparada de antemano la información sobre emergencias médicas puede ser fundamental.

Si quiere elegir a qué hospital le llevará la ambulancia, haga saber su preferencia

Dígales a los técnicos de emergencias médicas que le lleven al hospital más adecuado que sea un centro de ictus certificado o un centro de dolor torácico.

¿Cuándo notó por primera vez los síntomas o cuándo fue la última vez que recuerda haber estado libre de ellos?

Si sabe cuándo empezaron sus síntomas o si fue testigo del inicio en otra persona, esta información puede ser fundamental para orientar el tratamiento. Incluso si no sabe cuándo empezaron los síntomas, el “último momento conocido” sin síntomas (antes de acostarse la noche anterior, por ejemplo) puede ayudar al personal de urgencias a decidir el tratamiento que recibirá. Otro marcador de tiempo útil puede ser lo que estaba viendo en la televisión por cable o en la radio.

Mantenga una lista de sus condiciones, medicamentos y otra información en el refrigerador o en su teléfono

Un historial médico detallado, incluyendo cualquier cirugía importante reciente, y la lista de medicamentos actuales son algunas de las informaciones importantes que los paramédicos y los médicos y enfermeras de la sala de emergencias necesitarán antes de tomar decisiones sobre el tratamiento.

El refrigerador o la pantalla de bloqueo de su teléfono móvil son lugares en los que los técnicos de emergencias médicas suelen buscar esta información.

Esto es lo que hay que incluir:

• Su nombre
• Dirección y números de teléfono
• Fecha de nacimiento
• Tipo de sangre
• Cualquier cirugía importante reciente
• Enfermedades crónicas como la hipertensión o cualquier otra relacionada con el corazón, los pulmones o el cerebro
• Medicamentos actuales
• Alergias
• Número de Seguridad Social
• Aseguradora de salud y número de grupo
• Médicos
• Contactos de emergencia

Además de anotar los contactos de emergencia, es bueno tener a mano el número de teléfono móvil de alguien cercano que conozca su situación, su historial médico y la última vez que usted se encontró bien, ya sea un familiar o no. Un número de teléfono móvil puede ser especialmente importante, ya que los paramédicos pueden necesitar ponerse en contacto con esta persona mientras usted está de camino al hospital.

Los paramédicos avisarán al hospital de que van en camino y, una vez que usted llegue, el equipo se pondrá en marcha rápidamente para comenzar las pruebas de diagnóstico. El personal sanitario tratará de obtener información precisa de usted o de alguien cercano.

Cuando llame al 911

No cuelgue y asegúrese de seguir las instrucciones del operador. La ambulancia será enviada inmediatamente, aunque el operador siga hablando con usted. Desbloquee la puerta si puede.

Si tiene mascotas que puedan intentar atacar a un socorrista o escapar por la puerta abierta, asegúrelas si puede. De lo contrario, avise al operador para que los paramédicos puedan estar preparados para asegurar a la mascota y evitar un caos adicional que pueda distraerlos y aumentar su estrés.

Síntomas de un accidente cerebrovascular – SEA RÁPIDO*.

• Equilibrio: pérdida de equilibrio, coordinación o mareos
• Ojos: problemas de visión o cambios en la visión de uno o ambos ojos
• Cara: sonrisa desigual o la cara se ve desigual, caída o adormecida
• Brazos: un brazo cae al levantar ambos brazos; entumecimiento o debilidad en un brazo
• Habla: problemas para hablar; habla arrastrada o difícil
• Tiempo: Anote el momento en el que comienzan los síntomas: El tiempo perdido equivale al cerebro perdido.

*Adaptado de Intermountain Healthcare. BE FAST fue desarrollado por Intermountain Healthcare, como una adaptación del modelo FAST implementado por la American Stroke Association. Reproducido con permiso de Intermountain Healthcare. Copyright 2011, Intermountain Healthcare.

Síntomas de un ataque al corazón

• Una presión incómoda o una opresión en el centro del pecho que desaparece y vuelve a aparecer, o que se prolonga durante más de unos minutos
• Dolor que se extiende a uno o ambos brazos
• Dolor o malestar en la espalda, la mandíbula, el cuello o el estómago, acompañado de presión en el pecho
• Dificultad para respirar
• Sudor frío, náuseas o vómitos, combinados con cualquiera de los síntomas anteriores

Si cree que está sufriendo un ataque al corazón, no espere a recibir ayuda

Llame al 911 o haga que alguien lo lleve a la sala de emergencias del hospital más cercano. Después de llamar al 911, puede:

• Tomar nitroglicerina, si se lo ha recetado su médico.
• Tome aspirina, pero sólo si se la receta su médico. La aspirina puede interactuar con otros medicamentos y sólo debe tomarse cuando lo aconseje un profesional médico.

The post Esta es la información que debe tener preparada antes de necesitar atención de urgencia para un derrame cerebral o un ataque al corazón appeared first on Norton Healthcare.