• Every 45 seconds, someone across the nation has a stroke.
• An estimated 700,000 Americans will have a stroke this year. Of these, 150,000 of them will die. 
• Stroke is the leading cause of death among Americans behind heart disease and all forms of cancer. 
• Stroke is a leading cause of severe, long-term disability.

Stroke Warning Signs and Symptoms

If you notice one or more of the following symptoms in another person or yourself, don't wait.
Call 9-1-1 immediately and get to the hospital right away!

• 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.

What is a stroke?

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain bursts or is clogged by a blood clot or other particle. When the brain's supply of blood and oxygen are cut off, the nerve cells in the affected area start to die within minutes. These dead brain cells aren't replaced. This can result in brain damage and permanent problems, such as numbness, speech problems or the loss of the use of an arm or leg. 


Stroke Treatment

A stroke is a medical emergency. Quick treatment could save your life or greatly improve your chances of recovery. The most effective treatment for stroke, which involves newer medicines made available in recent years, must begin within a few hours from the onset. That is why it is important for you to get to a hospital immediately for the treatment to work.

At Riley Hospital, our Stroke Team immediately springs into action when a patient arrives at the hospital with stroke symptoms. Our emergency department staff quickly determines how severe the stroke is and whether the patient meets certain health criteria to be a candidate for sophisticated "clot busting" drugs. These drugs must be administered within three hours of the first symptom of stroke. 

Our Stroke Team, made up of highly qualified and professional physicians, nurses and therapists, will initiate treatment based on each patient's individual circumstances. So, patients receive complete, compassionate, personalized medical care to aid in their recovery.

Every second counts when you're having stroke. If you suspect you or someone else is having a stroke, don't wait. Call 9-1-1 immediately and get to the hospital right away!


Stroke Risk Factors

Anyone can have a stroke, but certain hereditary factors and lifestyle choices put some people at greater risk of having a stroke.

• People over the age of 55 have a higher risk, but young people also have strokes.
• Men have a greater risk than women, although the latest data shows that, at all ages, more women than men die from stroke.
• If you have already had a stroke, your risk of having another is greatly increased.
• High blood pressure increases your risk.
• Diabetes increases your risk.
• Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIAs), or "mini strokes," are strong indicators of a stroke. TIAs produce stroke-like symptoms without lasting damage. If you have experienced a TIA, you are 10 times more likely to have a stroke than someone of the same age and sex who hasn't.
• The chance of stroke is greater in people who have a family history of stroke. In general, African Americans have a much higher risk of death and disability from stroke.
• Smoking cigarettes increases your risk. If you smoke cigarettes and take birth control pills, your risk increases dramatically.
• Heart disease increases your risk.
• People who are overweight are at greater risk.

How can you reduce your risk factors 

• Don't smoke!
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Keep your diet healthy.
• Maintain good cholesterol levels. 
• Control your blood pressure.
• Exercising regularly.
• Maintain proper blood sugar levels if you have diabetes.

To learn more about stroke, visit the American Stroke Association's Web site 
at www.strokeassociation.org.