Naperville Sun HealthAware:
Watch for warning signs of stroke
May 7, 2012
Maybe you were gardening and suddenly felt a little dizzy, lost your balance and coordination, or had trouble walking.
Maybe you were shopping and you had difficulty seeing in one or both eyes.
Or maybe you had numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body, confusion or difficulty speaking or understanding speech.
“If you’ve experienced these symptoms and they weren’t long lasting, you may have experienced a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or a transient stroke that lasts only a few minutes,” said Dr. Mohammad Sajed, medical director of the Edward Neurocritical Care Unit.
“It occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is briefly interrupted.”
According to Sajed, many people ignore TIAs, which can be a big mistake.
Because there is no way to tell if the symptoms are from a stroke or a TIA, and people who have a TIA are at an increased risk of having a stroke, people experiencing any of these symptoms should seek emergency help:
Numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body in the face, arm, or leg
Confusion or difficulty in talking or understanding speech
Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Difficulty walking, dizziness, or loss of balance and coordination
TIAs are one of the risk factors of stroke.
About a third of people who have them have a stroke at some later time.
Paying attention to warning signs such as TIAs can prevent many strokes.
The most important risk factors for TIAs and strokes are high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, cigarette smoking, heart disease, carotid artery disease, diabetes, family history of strokes and heavy alcohol use.
“Treating underlying risk factors by making lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, not drinking alcohol and quitting smoking can reduce the risk of TIA and stroke,” Sajed said.
If you have any of the symptoms of TIA or stroke, don’t wait to see if it will go away.
Get help immediately. If you think you’ve already had a TIA or to assess your risk of stroke, speak with your physician.
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At a Glance
Edward Hospital will host “Be Stroke Aware” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, in the Edward Education Center Auditorium on the campus of Edward Hospital, 801 S. Washington St. in Naperville. Join Dr. Ali Shaibani of the Edward Neurosciences Institute to learn lifesaving tips and breakthrough techniques to prevent and treat stroke. To register, call 630-527-6363 or visit www.edward.org/classes.
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