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According to the American Stroke Association, a stroke occurs
when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the
brain is blocked or bursts and the brain cannot get the blood it
needs. Nerve cells deprived of oxygen die within a few minutes –
and can’t be replaced.
Be sure to note the time these symptoms first appear. A stroke
medication TPA (tissue plasminogen activator) is effective at
stopping certain strokes but must be administered within three
hours of your first symptoms.
The American Stroke Association says a stroke is a medical
emergency. Call 911 if you experience sudden onset of any of
these symptoms:
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Numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body. |
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Confusion, trouble speaking or understanding. |
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Trouble seeing in one or both eyes. |
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Trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination. |
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Severe headache with no known cause. |
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You can reduce your chance of having a stroke if you adopt
healthy lifestyle habits now. The same good advice applies for
virtually every condition, so if you’re making changes to prevent
a stroke, you’ll also lower your risk for a wide variety of
diseases and conditions. You know what to do – and what not to
do:
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Don’t smoke. |
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Do eat healthfully – a diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. |
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Exercise regularly to strengthen your heart. |
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Maintain a healthy weight. |
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Take medications as directed. |
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Get high blood pressure under control. |
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Have regular medical checkups. |
It may look like a daunting list, but it’s okay to start with one
thing. Ask your doctor what you should do first. Tackling just
one healthful change at a time is far better than never getting
started at all.
See page 63 of your Healthwise for Life book for more on
strokes.
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Beginning January 1, 2006, the new Medicare Prescription Drug
Insurance (Part D) will be available to all people with Medicare.
As a member of SCAN Health Plan® you will automatically be a
member and receive all the advantages of this program.
You may be seeing TV commercials as well as receiving mail to
inform you of this new Medicare insurance. Since enrollment will
be automatic for SCAN members, there will be no action needed
from you!
You will be hearing more from us as additional information
becomes available.
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If you experience any stroke symptoms, but they only last for a
few minutes, don’t brush it off as nothing. You may have
experienced a transient ischemic attack, or TIA, more commonly
referred to as a mini stroke. The American Stroke Association
says, “TIAs are strong predictors of stroke risk.” So, think of
this as a warning and get yourself to the emergency room
immediately, before “the big one” hits.
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