Ischemic strokes account for nearly 80% of all strokes. It occurs when a blood vessel in the neck or brain suddenly becomes blocked by a blood clot. This cuts off crucial oxygen and nutrients to the brain and brain cells rapidlybegin to die. Depending on the part of the brain affected, muscular control of the body and speech become impaired. If too large of an area of the brain is affected, death can result.
There’s a disturbing new statistic when it comes to strokes. While hospitalizations for ischemic stroke have declined for folks 65 and older, they have increased sharply for those younger than 65, and especially for those aged 25-44. Doctors say that the rise is stokes in the younger generation is occurring for the same reason that older people gets strokes: Lifestyle factors such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Almost 2 million brains cells die per minute after a stroke. There is small and critical window of opportunity to limit the damage that ensues. To prevent disability of death, it is imperative that one gets to the hospital right away to receive a clot-busting medication called Tissue Plasminogen Activator (TPA). The sooner the drug is given, the better the outcome. After about 4 hours, the window for opportunity is closed.
To help you recognize the symptoms of a stoke so that you can act fast, the American Stroke Association has developed the following acronym called FAST:
- Fast drooping: Does one side of the face sag or is it numb? Is the smile uneven?
- Arm weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? When raising both arms, does one arm drift downward?
- Speech difficulty: Is the speech slurred or hard to understand?
- Time to call 911: If someone shows the above symptoms, call 911 and get to the emergency room right away!
