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Stroke Prevention and Identification

Written By Summerside Chiropractic Clinic on December 19, 2016

Stokes are caused by a disruption of blood flow to the brain just like a heart attack is a disruption of blood flow to a portion of the heart. Because of the great advances in medication in recent years for decreasing the long term effects of a ischemic stroke, early identification has become more important. The medication needs to be administered within a few hours (ideally within one hour) of the stoke to be helpful. As chiropractors, we are trained to identify signs of stroke so that patients get the care they need as soon as possible. Sometimes it's tricky because the signs can be simply neck pain with headache which is a common reason people seek care at a chiropractors office. Any one with fishy symptoms during the history will get a special exam called a neurological exam. I want to let you in on some things you can check for if you or someone you know gets some of the following symptoms.
Sudden:
-vision problems
-confusion, slurred speech
-difficulty with balance or walking
-numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg
-severe headache
If any of these symptoms occur suddenly you should take the person to an E.R. immediately and/or call 911. If you are not sure here are a few easy tests you can do.
FAST
Face; ask the person to stick out their tongue, if it goes to one side or they have trouble doing it then that's an indicator. ask them to smile, if one side droops it's an indicator of stroke 
Arms; see if they can raise their arms and hold them up, if they can does it one drift downward?
Speech; ask them to repeat a simple sentence.
Time is critical if any of the above are positive. Ideally, if they are the 9/10 that have an ischemic stroke it can be greatly helped with newer clot busting drugs. 
People having a stroke will sometimes want to just lay down and avoid people just like a choking victim going to the washroom. Don't let them hide! They need to be checked out and watched. Do your FAST check.
Prevention of Strokes:
-You aren't seriously still smoking are you! For goodness-sakes Quit! It's a huge risk factor. 
-Heavy drinking. If you drink too much you aren't allowed to do it anymore! 
-Obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol... DIET, DIET, DIET (Keep Reading WellnessDoc.ca!)
Your in Health, Dr. Darrell, The WellnessDoc

(November 22, 2012)


Posted In: Wellness