Written by Rebecca Budde, SIU School of Medicine

Each year about 795,000 Americans have a stroke and every four minutes someone dies of stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So, what exactly is a stroke?

A stroke is damage to the brain, caused by a blood clot blocking the blood supply to the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, says Dr. Jatin Patel, a family medicine physician at the SIU School of Medicine’s Center for Family Medicine.

How do I know if someone is having a stroke and what do I do?

If someone you know has symptoms of stroke, get them to the emergency room immediately.

Look for the FAST warning signs of a stroke.

• Face drooping – One side of the face may droop or go numb. Ask the person to smile, then check to see if the smile is uneven.
• Arm weakness – Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
• Speech difficulty – Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence like “I like chicken soup.” Ask the person to stick out his tongue, if the tongue is crooked, does it go to one side or the other?
• Time – to call 9-11!

If the person has difficulty doing any of these simple tasks, call 9-1-1 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher, or take the person to the emergency room quickly. The sooner the person is treated, the better the outcome.

How are strokes treated?

According to Dr. Patel, a stroke caused by a blood clot can be treated with a strong blood thinner, tPA or tissue plasminogen activator. If the stroke is treated within the first three hours after it happens, it can help improve the outcomes of patients fairly well.

Next up: steps you can take to prevent a stroke.

Copyright © SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois