Hi, I’m Dr. Abby Young. I’m an Emergency Physician and the Stroke Adviser at Tahoe Forest Emergency Department, and today we’re going to talk about stroke.
Stroke is an important topic as it is the fifth leading cause of death and disability in the United States and the third leading cause of death for women. Stroke can occur at any age, but we typically do tend to see it in the later decades of life.
There are two different types of stroke. The first type of stroke is ischemic stroke. Ischemic stroke occurs when there’s a blockage of blood flow to the brain. The blockage of blood flow leads to brain and cell death.
The second type of stroke is called hemorrhagic stroke. This type of stroke occurs when there is a leaking blood vessel in the brain and blood leaks into the brain. Both types of stroke can cause permanent disability and death, so it is important to identify and treat stroke as quickly as possible.
Because early identification of stroke signs and symptoms is so important, we recommend that everyone be aware and use the B.E. F.A.S.T. mnemonic so that you can recognize signs of stroke in yourself, in family, or in other people around you and get help as quickly as possible.
B – Balance or dizziness. If you have any signs of imbalance or acute dizziness, this can be a sign of stroke.
E – Eyes. If you have any loss of vision or change in vision, this can also be a sign of stroke.
F – Face. If you have a facial droop or facial weakness, this can also be a sign of stroke.
A – Arm. Arm or leg weakness or numbness can be a sign of stroke.
S – Speech. If you have garbled speech, slurred speech, or word-finding difficulties, this can also be a sign of stroke.
T – Time, because every minute that we delay in getting stroke care leads to millions of brain cells dying.
We want you to call 911 as soon as possible or present to the closest emergency department.
In ischemic stroke, there are two different types of treatment. The first is a medication called a thrombolytic. The thrombolytic is a medication that can be given in the emergency department and breaks up the clot or the blockage that’s causing the lack of blood flow to the brain.
The second type of treatment for thrombolytic stroke is called a thrombectomy. This is a mechanical procedure where a physician threads a catheter through your vessels and is able to mechanically break up the blockage and restore the blood flow to your brain.
The treatment for hemorrhagic stroke is important to identify the stroke as early as possible so that we can control blood pressure and reverse any medications that may be causing your blood to be too thin. In addition, there are neurosurgical procedures that can be performed to stop the leaking blood vessels in the brain.
For all treatments of stroke, it is very important to rapidly identify the symptoms of stroke and what type of stroke it is so we can get treatment as soon as possible.
I’m Dr. Abby Young, Tahoe Forest Emergency Physician and Stroke Adviser. Thanks for joining me.
