Understanding a stroke

A stroke or “brain attack” occurs when a blood clot blocks the blood flow in a vessel or artery or when a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When either of these things happens, brain cells begin to die.

When brain cells die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area of the brain are lost. These include functions such as speech, movement, and memory. The specific abilities lost or affected depend on the location of the stroke and on its severity (i.e., the extent of brain cell death).

For example, someone who has a small stroke may experience only minor effects such as weakness of an arm or leg. Someone who has a larger stroke may be paralyzed on one side or lose his/her ability to speak. Some people recover completely from less serious strokes, while other strokes can be fatal.

Almost 80% of all strokes are preventable. And contrary to popular belief, a stroke can happen to anyone of age. But the good news is strokes can be treated if emergency treatment is provided in time.

The Cost of Stroke to Americans

• Stroke is our nation’s third leading cause of death, killing 160,000 Americans every year.
• Every year more than 750,000 Americans have a new or recurrent stroke.
• Every forty-five seconds in the United States, someone experiences a stroke.
• Over the course of a lifetime, four out of every five American families will be touched by stroke.
• Approximately one-third of all stroke survivors will have another stroke within five years.
• Of the 590,000 Americans who survive a stroke each year, approximately 5 to 14 percent will have another stroke within one year. The rate of having another stroke is about 10 percent per year thereafter.
• Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability. Over four million Americans are living with the effects of stroke. About one-third have mild impairments, another third are moderately impaired and the remainder are severely impaired.
  
  

Learn the symptoms of a stroke

What is a 'mini-stroke'?

Transient ischemic attacks, or TIAs, are brief episodes of stroke symptoms resulting
from temporary interruptions of blood flow to the brain. TIAs can last anywhere from a
few seconds up to 24 hours. Unlike actual strokes, TIAs do not kill brain cells, and
therefore, do not result in permanent brain damage. However, they can be warning
signs of an impending stroke.

The symptoms of a TIA are the same as for a stroke:

• Sudden numbness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

If a person experiences any of these symptoms, for even the briefest amount of time,
he or she should seek medical attention immediately. Urgent response to symptoms is
important for two reasons:

• If you are having an actual stroke, emergency medical attention could save
  your life and greatly improve your chances for successful rehabilitation and
  recovery.
  
• If you are having a TIA, your doctor will evaluate and treat the underlying
  causes. Unfortunately, most people who have TIAs neglect to seek treatment,
  either because the symptoms are painless or because they choose to attribute
  their symptoms to old age, fatigue, etc. Only 42 percent of patients seek
  treatment within 24 hours of experiencing symptoms.

TIAs should never be ignored! Approximately 10 percent of all strokes are preceded by
TIAs. Stroke risk increases ten-fold in someone who has had a TIA. Fully one-third of
all persons who experience TIAs will go on to have an actual stroke. The first year after a TIA is an especially critical period:

• 5 percent of those strokes will occur within one month of the TIA or previous stroke
• 12 percent will occur within one year
• 20 percent will occur within two years
• 25 percent will occur within three years