Stroke Center Articles

UNDERSTANDING STROKE

 

"It was early evening and we were watching our usual TV program when suddenly the left side of my body went limp and I slumped over in the chair. I tried to call out for help but the words that came out of my mouth were garbled. I remember feeling very confused and fearful. Later that night in the hospital I was told that I had a stroke."

Stroke, better known as "Brain Attack" is the leading cause of disability in the United States. Over 700,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. Winter Haven Hospital has made a commitment to the community to reduce the incidents and severity of strokes by educating the community on how to reduce the risks factors of stroke and teaching everyone how important it is to seek emergency treatment as soon as the symptoms begin because "Time is Brain".

Winter Haven Hospital's certified Advanced Primary Stroke Center has received the 2010 Gold Plus Award from the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association for continuously meeting the high standards of stroke care established, through research, that stroke and risk of stroke can be reduced by 25%.

What you need to know...

Warning Signs of Stroke

• Face, arm or leg suddenly becomes numb or weak on one side of the body
• Can’t understand or talk clearly
• Sudden loss of vision in one eye; blurred or double vision
• Headache unlike any other headache before

What You Should Do...

• Do not ignore the warning signs, even if they go away!
• Check the time the warning signs began and write it down
• Call 9-1-1 for emergency medical transport

Some stroke patients may be candidates to receive a clot-busting drug called a "thrombolytic." This drug has the capability of drastically reducing the stroke symptoms and, in some cases, completely eliminating them. There are risks involved and not every patient can receive the drug. The clot-busting drug must be given within several hours of the onset of the symptoms.

Stroke is a medical emergency and….every second counts.

For more information about the prevention and treatment of stroke:

www.americanheart.org

www.stroke.org

http://health.usnews.com/health/best-hospitals/winter-haven-hospital-6390079/heart-and-heart-surgery