NeuroScience Institute Stroke Center

Each year, more than 750,000 Americans experience a stroke due to a sudden drop in blood flow to the brain. Most strokes are ischemic, meaning they're caused by a blocked artery. For these strokes, medication can open blocked blood vessels and help restore blood flow if treated in time.

Getting to a treatment center fast is crucial

Medical experts say once symptoms start, there's only a small window of time for stroke victims to get the life- and brain-saving treatment they need.

Within three hours of the patient's stroke symptoms, doctors can often save critical brain tissue.*

But according to experts, only about three percent of stroke patients end up getting treated with the needed medication-a strong blood thinner-because the remaining 97 percent come to the hospital after the three-hour time window in which the medication can be given safely. The longer a patient waits to get treatment, the more likely it is that the risks of treatment will outweigh the benefits.

With immediate treatment, doctors say, the patient might quickly return to normal, or survive with only minimal symptoms such as numbness. So for a patient in Seminole County, having our stroke center at Florida Hospital Altamonte within easy reach increases the chance of a favorable outcome.

Unfortunately, most Americans do not recognize the symptoms of a stroke

Nor do most of us know to treat it as an emergency. In fact, a new National Stroke Association study shows that a third of us cannot name a single symptom a person might experience while having a stroke.

How can you recognize if someone might be having a stroke?

It's important to get the treatment you need immediately by recognizing the warning signs of a stroke. They are:

• Walk-Is your balance off?
• Talk-Is your speech slurred, or is your face droopy?
• Reach-Is your vision all or partly lost?
• Feel-Do you have a severe headache?

You can also use the following easy-to-remember tool to help you recognize stroke symptoms and act F.A.S.T. (Face, Arms, Speech, Time):

FACE   

Ask the person to smile

Does one side of the face droop? 

ARMS   

Ask the person to raise both arms.

Does one arm drift downward? 

SPEECH 

Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence.

Are the words slurred?  Can he/she repeat the sentence correctly?

TIME   

If the person shows any of these symptoms, time is important.

If you, or someone you are with, shows any of these signs (even if they don't last) call 911 immediately.

Are you at risk for a stroke?

Preventing a stroke to begin with is the best option of all. While some risk factors are beyond your control, such as age, ethnic background, and family history, there are lifestyle changes you can make today to lower your risk tomorrow. Risk factors include:

• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• smoking
• heart disease
• diabetes
• atrial fibrillation

If you have any of these risk factors, speak with your physician today about how you can control or manage them.

To learn more, please call us today at 407-303-2200 or click here to contact us online.

*Stanford Report, June 3, 2009, "Time window for stroke treatment should be extended" by Hadley Leggett