To Prevent Death or Disability

Thursday, January 15, 2009

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Recognizing the symptoms of stroke and seeking immediate treatment could save your life. What's immediate? Ideally, treatment for ischemic stroke — the most common type — begins within three hours of symptom onset, says Irene Meissner, M.D., Mayo Clinic neurologist, in the January issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource.

Ischemic stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is suddenly interrupted by a blockage in a blood vessel or artery. Less common, a hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel breaks, causing bleeding on the brain. Either can be deadly or disabling. In the United States, stroke is the third-leading cause of death in women and the fourth-leading cause in men. And, stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability.

Typically stroke warning signs occur suddenly and may include painless weakness in an arm or leg, numbness or weakness of the face or one side of the body, slurring of the speech or language difficulty, and trouble seeing with one or both eyes. In addition, some people may get dizzy or feel unsteady. A sudden, severe or unusual headache — sometimes described as your worst headache ever — also can be a symptom.

In some cases, these symptoms go away without treatment.

"If you are having severe pain, it is human nature to make a beeline for the emergency room," says Dr. Meissner. "But it's important not to ignore sudden or unusual symptoms that seem to get better or that aren't painful."

In years past, treatment options for stroke were limited. That's changed. Thrombolytic drugs, also known as clot busters, are used to treat ischemic stroke and reduce the risk of permanent brain damage that can cause paralysis or problems with thinking or speaking. The sooner the medication is started, the better the outcome.

Of course, taking steps to avoid a stroke is prudent. High blood pressure and high cholesterol levels are big risk factors for stroke. Other risk factors include diabetes, obesity, heart disease, family history, older age and smoking.

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Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource is published monthly to help women enjoy healthier, more productive lives. Revenue from subscriptions is used to support medical research at Mayo Clinic. To subscribe, please call 800-876-8633, extension 9751, or visit www.bookstore.mayoclinic.com.

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About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy of "the needs of the patient come first." More than 3,700 physicians, scientists and researchers and 50,100 allied health staff work at Mayo Clinic, which has sites in Rochester, Minn; Jacksonville, Fla; and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. and community based providers in more than 70 locations in Southern Minn., Western Wis. and Northeast Iowa. These locations treat more than half a million people each year. To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to www.mayoclinic.org/news. For information about research and education, visit www.mayo.edu. MayoClinic.com is available as a resource for your health stories.