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S t r o k e
Maybe you’ve heard the phrase “Time
lost is brain lost.” That simple sentence
says a lot about the need to treat stroke
as an emergency.
✦
The longer you wait
to seek help for a stroke, the greater the likelihood
of damage to the brain—damage that can lead to
long-term disability or even death. If you act
quickly, however, treatment may stop a stroke and
help you or a loved one avoid the devastating con-
sequences of this sudden event.
Knowing what happens inside the brain during
a stroke is key to understanding why all of this is
important.
INSIDE A STROKE
A stroke occurs when blood
flow to the brain is suddenly disrupted. This can
happen in two ways:
Ischemic stroke.
In more than 80 percent
of strokes, a blood vessel leading to the brain is
blocked by a blood clot. Blood clots can form in
arteries narrowed by plaque deposits. Clots also
can travel to the brain from other parts of the body,
such as the heart. For example, an irregular heart-
beat called atrial fibrillation is a common cause of
these traveling clots.
Hemorrhagic stroke.
Less commonly, a weak-
ened blood vessel breaks, spilling blood into or
around the brain. One frequent cause is an aneu-
rysm, which occurs when a section of blood vessel
weakens and balloons out. Untreated, it can rupture,
leaking blood into the brain. Blood vessels weakened
by high blood pressure may also be prone to rupture.
Brain cells quickly die when they are starved
of oxygen and nutrients because of a clot or when
they are damaged by bleeding.
Stroke can affect any area of the body, depend-
ing on which area of the brain is damaged. It can
cause paralysis or weakness on one side of the
body; problems with speech, memory or thinking;
emotional problems; or chronic pain.
If you think someone is
having a stroke, call 911.
ANATOMY OF A
Why
emergency
treatment
is vital
Stroke
Ischemic strokes
are the
most common type. They result
from blockages in blood vessels
in the brain or in the neck arteries
that carry blood to the brain.
Often they are caused by a
clot that forms in an artery that
already has a buildup of fatty
deposits called plaque. In some
cases, a blood clot can form in
another part of the body and then
travel to the brain.
WHAT IS
A STROKE?
A stroke occurs when blood
flow to part of the brain is
interrupted—or when a vessel
breaks and bleeds into the
brain. In either case, within
minutes, brain cells begin to die.
TWO TYPES OF STROKE
Hemorrhagic strokes
occur when a blood vessel
in the brain becomes weak
and then ruptures, flooding
the surrounding tissue with
blood.
Source: American Heart Association
Blood
vessel
Blood
vessel
Blood flow
Blood flow
Rupture
Plaque
Blood
clot
WHY MINUTES MATTER
Stopping a stroke is key
to limiting the damage. At the hospital, doctors
work to quickly determine what caused the
stroke.
For ischemic strokes, they can use a drug
called tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) to dis-
solve the clot and restore blood flow to the brain.
To do the most good, TPA must be given within
a 4
½
-hour window after symptoms start. However,
you should arrive at the hospital much sooner
than that—within 60 minutes—in order to receive
evaluation and treatment.
The other type of stroke, hemorrhagic, is treated
differently. One way to stop the bleeding is with
surgery to place a metal clip at the base of the
aneurysm.
If you think someone is having a stroke, it’s es-
sential to call 911.
Signs of stroke include sudden:
●
Severe
headache with no known cause.
●
Confusion.
●
Numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg,
especially on one side of the body.
●
Difficulty
seeing in one or both eyes.
●
Trouble walking.
The sooner you arrive at the hospital, the sooner
treatment may begin.
LOWER YOUR RISK
Talk with your doctor about
your personal risk for stroke.
Not all risk factors can be changed, such as
age or having a family history of stroke. However,
you can prevent or treat many risk factors, such
as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, being
overweight or not exercising. Lifestyle changes
and medicines are some ways you can address
your risk.
Sources: American Stroke Association; National Institutes of Health
T H E
S A M A R I T A N
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