After lunch, he decided to lie down for a few minutes, taking a nap on the sofa in his office, before hitting the road. Still battling fatigue, he met his wife Liz later that day to drive to the game. Bill sat in the passenger seat so he could concentrate on a pressing work conference call.
“Shortly into the drive, I noticed he seemed to be falling asleep while talking on the phone,” said Liz. “He began to speak very slowly and slur his words. I began to wonder if he’d had a drink at work, which would have been very unusual. I tried to get Bill alert enough to tell me how he was feeling. He said he was having difficulty gathering his thoughts and that he was seeing double out of his left eye.”
Liz became alarmed.
Yet even with those initial symptoms, Bill didn’t seem to grasp what was happening. Had he been back at his office, Bill might have laid back down for another nap to potential catastrophic consequences.
Fortunately, they were on a major highway with Liz at the wheel. It quickly became apparent to her that she needed to get her husband to a hospital. She called 911. The dispatcher gave directions to emergency medical care, which was just minutes away. She drove him there immediately.
Tests indicated Bill had experienced a TIA – Transient Ischemic Attack – caused by a temporary interruption in the blood supply to the brain. Often called a mini-stroke, a TIA’s symptoms usually occur rapidly and can serve as a warning sign for an impending stroke. A TIA should always be evaluated urgently.
Half of all patients that suffer a TIA have a major stroke within 24 to 48 hours, and 20 percent more within 90 days. A timely and complete medical evaluation is crucial and provides an opportunity to identify the cause of the interrupted blood flow before a debilitating or fatal stroke occurs. If blood fails to get to the affected parts of the brain, the oxygen supply is cut off and brain cells quickly begin to die.
“Realizing a TIA is in itself a warning sign for stroke has made for some anxious times,” said Liz. “However, Bill did take the steps to follow up with an internist and have the tests needed to determine what could have caused the TIA.”
Bill and Liz were very astute and sought medical care relatively quickly after the onset of symptoms. But many people ignore or toss aside the early indicators of a stroke, attributing them to fatigue or the flu. According to the American Stroke Association, approximately 795,000 Americans suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year, and almost 20 percent of those result in death, making stroke the nation’s fourth leading cause of death and the leading cause of long-term disability. Recognizing the signs of stroke and getting early medical intervention can reduce or even reverse permanent brain damage.
The signs and symptoms of stroke in men and women include:
Sudden severe headache with no known cause- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or trouble understanding
- Sudden blurred vision
- Sudden dizziness or loss of balance
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg – especially on one side of the body
Though there are certain risk factors you can’t change like age, race, sex or family history, there are a lot of factors that you can control to help lower your risk for stroke. In fact, 80 percent of strokes are preventable by making lifestyle changes such as the following:
- Control your blood pressure
- Control your cholesterol
- Control your blood sugar if you have diabetes
- Stop smoking
- Exercise and maintain a healthy weight
- Eat more fruits and vegetables, lean cuts of meat and whole grains; Avoid fatty foods
Bill’s symptoms subsided quickly, and after a few days in the hospital, he was discharged. He went back to work the following week and has had no further symptoms. But he and Liz know that not everyone is as fortunate.
“Get prompt medical attention” Liz encouraged. “There are medications and steps to take to prevent permanent damage.”
May is National Stroke Awareness Month. Learn the signs. Watch Contrast Creative’s latest Stroke PSA entitled “I’m Fine,” which was produced for The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence and the North Carolina Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention Program (HDSP).
Your brain. Your Life. Make Every Second Count.