Judy Buck was enjoying a normal Saturday morning, working on her grocery list, when her life took a dramatic turn. "My eye started watering, and then my whole left side got heavy," said Buck. "I knew something was wrong."
Buck's husband raced her to the local hospital emergency department where Judy was diagnosed with a stroke. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the country and causes more serious long-term disabilities than any other disease.
Also called brain attack, a stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is disrupted. Disruption in blood flow is caused when either a blood clot blocks one of the vital blood vessels in the brain (ischemic stroke), or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, spilling blood into surrounding tissues (hemorrhagic stroke).
The brain needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients in order to function. Even a brief interruption in blood supply can cause problems. Brain cells begin to die after just a few minutes without blood or oxygen. "Unfortunately with stroke, time is brain since about 1.9 million neurons are lost with every minute of lack of blood flow," said Dion Graybeal, MD, medical director for Baylor Health Care System's hub-and- spoke stroke program.
Know Your Risk of a Stroke
Because many people do not know the risks of a stroke, Baylor Health Care System invites them to take this simple online quiz (www.strokequiz.com). The eight-question online survey asks participants questions about their health relating to blood pressure, weight, tobacco use, rapid heartbeat, diabetes, and physical activity level. After filling out the form, the participant receives a score, which indicates if they could be at risk for a stroke.
Although most strokes occur in people older than age 50, about 1 in 5,000 women ages 15 to 49 suffers a stroke each year, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes (NINDS). (source: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/)
"It is a misconception that strokes will only happen to older people," says Chaouki Khourdy, MD, medical director of neurology education, Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas.
"Most people are aware of sudden onset weakness on one side as a possible presentation of stroke, but strokes can present in other ways, and people should get familiar with these other possible presentations," said Dr. Khourdy in a Daily Rx article.
The Daily Rx article looked at a recent study by Lori Mosca, M.D., MPH, Ph.D. a Columbia University Medical Center professor, revealed that only 51 percent of women age 25 and older, knew that sudden weakness or numbness in an arm or leg on one side of the body or on one side of the face were among the signs of stroke. Only 44 percent of the same group never that muffled speech or other difficulty talking was a sign of stroke. http://bit.ly/1lIBVrC
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Susan Hall
Susanh@baylorhealth.edu
office: (214) 820-1817
About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com