How To Tell If Youre Having A Stroke - What Is A Stroke: Stroke

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How to tell if you're having a stroke

When stroke symptoms occur, quick action is vital. Warning signs can begin anywhere from a few minutes to days before a stroke. If you think you or someone with you is having a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA), seek immediate medical attention (see "Stroke warning signs and symptoms"). If you can't reach your doctor by telephone, go to a hospital emergency room, preferably one that specializes in treating stroke as it occurs (called acute stroke). If you know you are at risk for stroke, find out ahead of time the name and location of the nearest hospital that specializes in treating acute stroke.

In a Gallup survey, 97% of people over age 50 did not recognize the warning signs of a stroke. Everyone, especially those who are at increased risk for strokes, should learn these warning signs and know what to do if they occur.

Seek help early. Since the 1980s, researchers have developed rapid, safe, and effective diagnostic techniques that accurately identify the extent and location of a stroke and the nature of the blood vessel (vascular) problem causing it. The goal of treatment is to restore blood circulation before brain tissue dies. The time frame for reaching this goal is frighteningly slim. Treatment usually has to begin within 60 minutes of a stroke to prevent brain cell death that is significant enough to cause disability.

One of the main clot-dissolving drugs, recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), is best given early. People treated with tPA one hour after the onset of a stroke were more than three times as likely to survive with few disabilities compared with those treated two hours after stroke onset, according to two trials sponsored by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. An important goal of research is to find treatments that can buy time by protecting the patient's brain until blood circulation is restored, thus improving the odds of survival and decreasing disability.

Prepare for an emergency. If you are at risk of having a stroke, prepare for an emergency by displaying important phone numbers prominently next to the telephone, such as the numbers of your doctor and a relative or close friend who should be contacted. It's also a good idea to keep on hand a current list of prescription medications and other drugs you use and a brief medical history to take to the hospital in the event of a stroke.

Last updated:	September 05, 2008