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Overdrive
| September 2014
Diversions
By Wendy Parker
With about 795,000 deaths attribut-
ed annually, stroke is the fourth-lead-
ing cause of death in the United
States. Nearly 75 percent of all
strokes occur in people over age 65.
There are two kinds of stroke. An
ischemic stroke is caused by a blood
clot or otherwise blocked vessel
in the brain, while a hemorrhagic
stroke is caused by a blood vessel
that breaks and bleeds into the brain.
In both, every minute counts.
The longer that blood flow is cut off
to an area of the brain, the great-
er the damage. Emergency room
doctors say "the golden window of
opportunity" for treatment is three
hours. Being at the hospital for eval-
uation within 60 minutes of having
the first symptoms greatly improves
the chances of a positive outcome.
A stroke sometimes renders the
victim unable to realize he or she is
having one, so it's often another per-
son who understands what's going on
and seeks help. The solitary lifestyle
of truck drivers makes it even more
important for them to seek help if
they think something is wrong.
Symptoms tend to have sudden
onset: unusual numbness or weakness
of the face, arm or leg (especially on
one side of the body), trouble seeing
in one or both eyes, confusion, trou-
ble speaking or understanding speech,
trouble walking, dizziness, loss of
balance or coordination or a severe
headache with no known cause.
If you experience any of these, seek
immediate medical attention. If you're
driving, pull over and call 911.
Prevention tips
Preventing a stroke is much easier
than recovering from one. While a
family history of stroke plays a role
in your risk, there are many risk
factors you can control. The stroke
prevention tips are similar to those
suggested for preventing other
catastrophic health problems:
• If you have high blood pres-
sure, get it under control. This is
the No. 1 thing you can do to avoid
stroke.
• If you smoke, quit.
• If you have diabetes, learn to
manage it.
• If you're overweight, adopt a
healthy diet and exercise regularly.
Text INFO to 205-289-3555 or visit www.ovdinfo.com
Time critical for stroke response
