Understanding Stroke _ It’s A State of Mind!

Be Stroke Smart Recognize Stroke Symptoms Reduce Stroke Risk Respond – Call 911 When warning signs occur The 3 R’s of Stroke Stroke is the MOST preventable of all catastrophic medical conditions

Definition of Stroke Sudden brain damage Lack of blood flow to the brain caused by a clot or rupture of a blood vessel Ischemic - Most common Hemorrhagic - Bleeding around brain - Bleeding into brain

Prominent People Who Had Strokes Sharon Stone Luther Van Dross Mary Kay Ash Kirk Douglas Roy Horn – Seigfried & Roy President Gerald Ford Robert Guillaume Della Reese Charles Schultz Ted Williams

Stroke Facts in America Third leading cause of death in the United States 750,000 Americans suffer strokes each year 160,000 deaths each year 4,000,000 stroke survivors

Stroke Facts in America A leading cause of adult disability Up to 80% of 600,000 strokes are preventable Every 45 seconds, someone suffers a stroke Twice as many women die from stroke every year than from breast cancer

African Americans & Stroke Incidence is nearly double that of white Americans Suffer more extensive physical impairments Twice as likely to die from stroke High incidence of risk factors for stroke –Hypertension –Diabetes –Obesity –Smoking –Sickle cell anemia

Women & Stroke Stroke kills more than twice as many American women every year as breast cancer More women than men die from stroke Women over age 30 who smoke and take high- estrogen oral contraceptives have a stroke risk 22 times higher than average

Stroke Symptoms Sever headache Trouble seeing In one or both eyes Sudden dizziness Sudden numbness Sudden confusion Trouble speaking If you see someone having any of these symptoms Call 911 every minute counts

TIA or Mini-Stroke Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) are a warning sign of stroke Symptoms of TIAs are the same as for stroke Symptoms resolve within minutes to hours Over 1/3 all persons who experience TIA will go on to have a full stroke

The Perceptions of Stroke MYTH Stroke is not preventable Stroke cannot be treated Stroke only strikes the elderly Stroke happens in the heart Stroke recovery ends after 6 months REALITY Up to 80% percent of strokes are preventable Stroke requires emergency treatment Anyone can have a stroke Stroke is a “Brain Attack” Stroke recovery can last a lifetime

The Cost of Stroke $53.6 Billion Annually

Up to 80% of strokes are preventable! NSA developed these guidelines to help people reduce their risk for stroke…

NSA’s Stroke Prevention Guidelines 1.Know your blood pressure. Have it checked at least annually. If it is elevated, work with your doctor to control it. 1.Find out if you have atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heart beat. 1.If you smoke, stop.

NSA’s Stroke Prevention Guidelines (continued)‏ 4. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. 5. If you have high cholesterol, work with your doctor to control it. 6. If you are diabetic, follow your doctor’s recommendations carefully to control your diabetes.

NSA’s Stroke Prevention Guidelines (continued)‏ 7. Include exercise in the activities you enjoy in your daily routine 1.Enjoy a lower sodium (salt), lower fat diet 1.Work with your doctor if you have circulation problems 10. If you experience any stroke symptoms, seek immediate medical attention. Call 911.

Reasons Patients Don’t Seek Immediate Treatment Don’t recognize symptoms Don’t want fears confirmed – denial Think nothing can be done – not an emergency Worried about cost Think symptoms will disappear Fear of hospitals

Acute Stroke Treatment Clot Busters –T-PA First FDA-approved stroke treatment Brain Protectors –Neuroprotectants Neuroprotectants are still in clinical trial in the research and development phase

Percentage of Patients Returning to work after Stroke

Stroke Recovery 10% of stroke survivors recover almost completely 25% recover with minor impairments 40% experience moderate to severe impairments requiring special care 10% require care in a skilled care or other long-term care facility 15% die shortly after the stroke

Types of Stroke Rehabilitation Physical Therapy (PT)‏ –Walking, range of movement Occupational Therapy (OT)‏ –Taking care of one’s self Speech Language Therapy –Communication skill, swallowing, cognition Recreational Therapy –Cooking, gardening etc.

Life at Home for Stroke Survivors and Family Behavior Depression & Anger Emotional Liability One-sided Neglect Memory Loss Communication Problems

Life at Home for Stroke Survivors and Family Daily living skills Dressing and grooming Diet, nutrition and eating difficulties Skin care problems Pain Sexuality/Intimacy

Recovery Services Rehabilitation Unit in the Hospital In-patient Rehabilitation Facility Home Bound Therapy Home with Outpatient Therapy Long-term Care Facility Community-based Programs

Reduce the Impact of Stroke Stroke is a Brain Attack! –Preventable and treatable 3 R’s of Stroke –Reduce Risk –Recognize Stroke Symptoms –Respond immediately by calling 911

National Stroke Association Reducing the Incidence and Impact of Stroke Prevention and Public Education Professional Education and Training Advancing Stroke Research Resource for Stroke Survivors and Caregivers

NSA Materials

National Stroke Association Toll – free information STROKES ( )‏ Comprehensive web site