Stroke: "Time Lost is Brain Lost"
By Eileen Hawkins, RN, MSN, CNRN
Stroke Program Coordinator, Penobscot Bay Medical Center

 Each morning, as we get ready to face the day, most of us do a number of things that we take for granted. We often think little of the fact that we can brush our teeth, comb our hair or tie our shoes.

But in the amount of time it takes a person to perform just one of these simple tasks, at least one person in the United States will have suffered a stroke. For 4.6 million American stroke survivors today, the tasks that most of us take for granted can be a daily challenge. The American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association (strokeassociation.org), says that on average, someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds and that someone dies of a stroke about every three minutes. Each year, about 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in this country behind diseases of the heart and cancer and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. Stroke claims more than 160,000 lives each year and accounts for one of every 17 deaths in this country.

Stroke warning signs can sometimes be subtle and are not associated with pain like some of the warning signs of a heart attack such as "crushing chest pain." Missing the warning signs of stroke however, may put you in danger in a matter of minutes.

May is National Stroke Awareness Month. It's the time when we emphasize the American Stroke Association phrase "Time Lost is Brain Lost." Know the warning signs of stroke and don't delay in seeking treatment. Call 9-1-1 immediately. Stroke is a medical emergency. Treatments are available for the most common type of stroke when a person seeks immediate medical attention.

Warning signs of stroke include:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the 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.

In addition to stroke recognition, another important part of stroke education is stroke prevention. Understand your personal risk factors for stroke in order to avoid a first-time stroke or prevent a recurrence. Many strokes can be prevented.

Risk factors for stroke can be divided into two groups; controllable and uncontrollable.

Controllable risk factors for stroke include high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, diabetes, smoking, obesity and physical inactivity. Uncontrollable risk factors include age, gender, race/ethnicity, family history, prior stroke or TIA (mini-stroke).

Honor National Stroke Awareness Month by reading more about these six educational tips for reducing stroke risk. Share this information from the National Stroke Association (stroke.org) with your family and friends.

• High blood pressure is the primary cause of stroke. Know the role that managing your blood pressure plays in lowering your stroke risk.

• Cholesterol or plaque build-up in the arteries can block normal blood flow to the brain and cause a stroke. All adults age 20 and older should have their cholesterol checked at least once every five years.

• Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a type of irregular or "racing" heartbeat that can cause blood to collect in the heart and potentially form a clot, which can travel to a person's brain and cause a stroke or brain attack. This condition increases a person's risk for stroke by 500 percent. Unfortunately, many Americans who have AF don't know it.

• Diabetes can double or quadruple your risk for stroke. Talk to your doctor and learn how to manage your diabetes and stroke risk at the same time.

• A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a mini-stroke with stroke symptoms that last less than 24 hours before disappearing. More than one-third of all people who have a TIA will have a stroke.

• Tobacco use, smoking and alcohol use increase your risk for stroke. Consider quitting smoking or tobacco use and drinking alcohol in moderation. Remember that alcohol can interact with some drugs, so talk with your doctor or pharmacist about any medications you are currently taking.

The Penobscot Bay Medical Center Stroke Program, online at pbmc.org/stroke, has scheduled a variety of educational and informational forums for the local community. PBMC is a certified Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center. This certification of distinction is awarded to hospitals that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke. All programs are free and open to the public.

Tuesday, May 19, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Penobscot Bay Medical Center near the cafeteria, Blood pressure screen and stroke risk assessment, co-sponsored by the PBMC Stroke Program and Knox County Community Health Coalition.

Tuesday, May 26, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Camden Public Library, Dr. Judd Jensen, PBMC Neurologist, will discuss "Stroke is not an accident. What is a Stroke? How do you get it? What can we do about it?"