Stroke is a Medical Emergency!
Stroke - or the destruction of brain tissue caused by a hemorrhage or clotting of blood vessels - is an extraordinarily serious condition. Stroke ranks among the most challenging medical conditions faced by the human population. Why? These abnormalities attack the human brain, the center of the body, the seat of the mind. Approximately 700,000 Americans experience a new or recurrent stroke each year and stroke remains the third leading cause of death in the United States. They affect someone in this nation every 40 seconds. They claim a life every 3 to 4 minutes. In addition, stroke remains the leading cause of serious long-term disability. There are roughly 4.8 million living stroke survivors and the economic impact is greater than $50 billion per year.
Stroke symptoms include:
- 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
If you find yourself suffering from these symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately. Strokes require immediate care. Research shows that treatment during the first few hours after stroke symptoms appear is vitally important if you, or someone you care about, is to have the best recovery possible.
Strokes are the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability in the United States. Historically, the outlook for patients facing strokes has been grim. Paralysis, incapacitation, and death were common. But recent medical advances embraced by the physicians and medical professionals at our Stroke Center have brightened the prognoses. So stellar is their work, that South Florida Baptist Hospital has been named a primary stroke center by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration and has earned the Gold Seal of ApprovalTMfrom The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) for Primary Stroke Centers.
What happens during a stroke?
There are two basic types of stroke: hemorrhagic (having to do with an increase of blood to the brain) and ischemic (having to do with a decrease in the blood supply to the brain).
A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a weakened artery leaks blood into the brain. High blood pressure batters at the artery until it bursts. When blood flows into the brain, it causes extensive damage.
There are two types of ischemic strokes: thrombotic and embolic. Thrombotic strokes occur when calcium build ups and fatty deposits (commonly known as plaque) build up on the inside walls of an artery supplying blood to the brain. The plaque eventually clogs the artery, and cuts off the brain's blood supply. The build-up of plaque is a condition known as intracranial atherosclerosis. An embolic stroke takes its name from embolus, another word for a blood clot. This type of clot breaks off from another part of the body, travels through the bloodstream and gets stuck in a blood vessel leading toward the brain, blocking blood flow.
Are there any other types of stroke I should know about?
Yes. Many people suffer from strokes known as TIAs or RINDs. TIA stands for "transient ischemic attacks." You may have heard these attacks referred to as pencil strokes. Their symptoms - including weakness or numbness of the face; weakness or numbness in one or both limbs on one side; difficulty in speaking, understanding speech, and reading; and vision disturbances - often mimic those of a full-blown stroke.
The main difference between a TIA and a full-blown stroke is that TIA symptoms last for less than twenty-four hours. Nevertheless, a TIA is serious because it is a temporary interruption of the blood supply to the brain. About a third of patients suffering from a transient ischemic attack will eventually have a full-blown stroke. A RIND is a "reversible ischemic neurological deficit." Unlike a pencil stroke, a RIND lasts for more than twenty-four hours, but for less than three weeks.
For a Physician referral, please call (813) 870-4747.
