Stroke Education
Every minute is critical in minimizing the damage caused by a stroke. The stroke specialists, EMTs and emergency department staff at The Hospitals of Providence understand that treating you quickly and according to the best stroke practices will preserve more brain function and a better quality of life for you after a stroke.
Comprehensive Stroke Center
The Hospitals of Providence Sierra Campus has earned designation as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, assuring patients that it follows national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve the outcomes of the most complex stroke cases. This designation confirms that Sierra Campus has developed successful initiatives on stroke prevention, rehabilitation, education, community awareness and research with positive outcomes.
Are you at risk?
It’s possible to have a stroke without the risk factors listed below. But the more risk factors you have, the greater your likelihood of having a stroke. If you have a number of risk factors, ask your doctor what you can do to reduce your risk.
Click here for a FREE Health Risk Assessment to determine your risk of stroke
Risk factors for stroke include:
Lifestyle Factors:
- Smoking
- Lack of physical activity
- Drug Abuse - particularly cocaine and amphetamines
- Diet - high fat, and low in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fiber
Medical Conditions:
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- High blood cholesterol
- Recent heart attack
- Heart Valve Disease
- Sickle Cell Disease
- Previous stroke
- Heart diseases and conditions
- Carotid Artery Disease
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Peripheral Artery Disease
- Vascular Disease
Additional Risk Factors:
- Being over age 75
- Genetic factors
- Gender
- Being African American
Stroke Diagnosis
Time is critical in preventing further damage to your brain and in reversing the damage already done during a stroke. For this reason, you should get to an emergency room as quickly as possible.
After an initial review of your symptoms and medical history, a physical exam will focus on identifying the area of your brain that is being damaged. Your condition will be stabilized.
The diagnosis evaluation includes:
- Neurological exams
- Blood and urine tests
- Imaging scans
Stroke Treatment
Having a stroke may dramatically change your lifestyle. But the changes are so varied that they cannot be predicted even after the acute event. You may recover completely from a stroke days, weeks, or months later. A stroke can leave you permanently impaired or the effects may be minimal. The days and weeks after your a stroke may be an entirely new world to you, a world of hard work to recover and retrain whatever functions the stroke may have deprived you of.
Treatment involves the following:
- Lifestyle changes
- Medication
- Surgery
- Rehabilitation
Know The Symptoms. B.E. F.A.S.T.
- For every minute that brain cells are deprived of oxygen during a stroke, the likelihood of brain damage increases. B.E. F.A.S.T. represents six key signs of stroke identification. Here’s how it works:
Balance - Is there a sudden loss of balance or coordination?
Eyes - Is there sudden blurred or double vision or sudden, persistent vision trouble?
Face - Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
Arms - Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
Speech - Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Are the words slurred? Can the patient repeat the sentence correctly?
Time - If a person is having trouble with these basic commands, call 911 immediately.
To learn more about stroke care at our Comprehensive Stroke Center, click here.
Ready to schedule an appointment with a physician? Call 866-934-3627 to find a physician in your area.
