Why Minutes Matter

"Time is Brain." Minimizing the time between the onset of a stroke and the beginning of treatment is critical. The amount of time that passes is one of the biggest factors determining how much damage a stroke causes to the brain. On average, the American Heart Association reports that approximately 1.9 million brain cells die every minute a stroke goes untreated. This underscores that delayed care can result in long-term disability and even death. Therefore, strokes should be treated with the same urgency as a heart attack.

What is an Ischemic Stroke?

Roughly 87% of all strokes, known as ischemic strokes, occur when a blocked artery or a clot blocks blood flow to an area of the brain. Consequently, without blood and the oxygen it carries, that part of the brain begins to die. As a result, the area of the body controlled by the affected brain region can't function properly, potentially leading to paralysis, inability to speak, vision loss, or emotional problems.

A transient ischemic attack (TIA), also referred to as a ‘warning stroke’ or ‘mini stroke’, is a type of ischemic stroke. In a TIA, a clot briefly cuts off oxygen to the brain, but the blockage resolves on its own, and symptoms usually last under 5 minutes. However, approximately one in five individuals who experience a TIA will have a full stroke within the next 90 days. Therefore, seeking medical attention, even for brief symptoms due to a TIA, is crucial to take preventative steps and lower your future stroke risk.

The good news is that there's a drug designed to break up blood clots: TPA, or tissue plasminogen activator. This medication can be highly effective at dissolving life-threatening blockages and minimizing brain damage. However, doctors aim to administer it within a crucial four-and-a-half-hour window after stroke symptoms begin. Therefore, the time it takes a hospital to administer TPA to stroke patients upon arrival is a key indicator of their stroke program's quality.

What is a Hemorrhagic Stroke?

In some cases, a stroke isn't caused by a blockage but by a ruptured artery bleeding into the brain, which damages nearby nerve cells. This type of stroke is called a hemorrhagic stroke, and patients experiencing it require immediate emergency treatment, potentially including surgery, to survive. And again, as with all strokes, time is of the essence.

Advanced Stroke Treatments That Can Help

Incoming stroke patients may also be candidates for neurointerventional radiology, a minimally invasive approach used by specialty-trained radiologists at Dignity Health to diagnose and treat neurological disorders, including stroke. Utilizing catheters and imaging guidance to access blood vessels, this technique offers an excellent alternative to surgery for many neurological conditions. For stroke patients, these treatments often lead to improved outcomes, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery, providing new hope for those with limited previous options.

Stroke Risk Factors and Finding Emergency Care

Many risk factors increase the chance of a stroke, with high blood pressure, age, and heart disease being arguably the most significant. While stroke can affect anyone at any time, it's crucial for those at high risk (and their families) to know the signs, which include sudden speech difficulty or weakness/numbness on one side of the face or arms. Even if these symptoms disappear, calling 9-1-1 immediately is essential.

It's important to know where to seek emergency care. Locate your nearest Dignity Health Emergency Room today.

Copyrighted material adapted with permission from Ignite Healthwise, LLC. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor.