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Winchester Hospital Recognizes National Stroke Awareness Month in May
Winchester, Mass. – If you were warned that a stroke was in your future, you’d act to prevent it, right? Yet many people ignore a major red flag: the ministroke.
According to a recent study in the journal Stroke, only one out of 10 people with symptoms of a ministroke, also called a transient ischemic attack (TIA), actually sought appropriate emergency treatment at a hospital.
Winchester Hospital was one of the first hospitals in the state to be designated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to provide Primary Stroke Services. The Primary Stroke Service regulations were developed to provide acute stroke patients with a greater chance of successful treatment. Through a combination of community education, medical staff training, implementation of hospital protocols geared toward quick stroke diagnosis and treatment, and results analysis, the program is intended to improve treatment of stroke patients before significant irreversible damage occurs.
Stroke, which occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, is the nation’s third leading cause of death and the leading cause of severe, long-term disability. According to the American Stroke Association, about 795,000 Americans suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year, killing more than 143,000 people.
About one-third of people who have a TIA will have a stroke in the future, according to the American Heart Association. But that doesn’t mean it’s inevitable. Knowing the warning signs of a TIA—and seeking immediate medical attention—can help keep your brain safe.
Watch for Stroke Signals
TIAs occur when blood flow to an area of the brain is temporarily blocked, often due to a blood clot. They are known as ministrokes because they cause the same symptoms as a stroke, but last only a few minutes.
For both TIA and stroke, symptoms come on suddenly and include the following:
• Numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Confusion or dizziness
• Trouble speaking or understanding
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Difficulty walking
• Loss of balance or coordination
• Severe headache with no known cause
Heed the Warning
Health experts say you should assume that all stroke-like symptoms signal an emergency. So if you experience even one of the symptoms listed above, call 911 for an ambulance. Remember that ministrokes tend to be brief, but you still need emergency care even if your symptoms disappear quickly.
If it turns out you’ve had a TIA, your doctor can tell you how to lower your risk for a full-blown stroke—before it has a chance to strike.
About Winchester Hospital
Winchester Hospital is the first community hospital in Massachusetts to earn Magnet recognition, the American Nurses Association’s highest honor for nursing excellence. As the northwest suburban Boston area’s leading provider of comprehensive health care services, the 229-bed facility provides care in general, bariatric and vascular surgery, orthopedics, pediatrics, cardiology, pulmonary medicine, oncology, gastroenterology, rehabilitation, radiation oncology, pain management, obstetrics/gynecology and a Level IIB Special Care Nursery. Winchester Hospital has clinical affiliations with several nationally recognized hospitals in the region, including Children’s Hospital Boston, Tufts Medical Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. To learn more, visit www.winchesterhospital.org. |
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