10 common misconceptions about stroke – from Barrow Neurological Institute:

Strokes aren’t preventable. Fact: Approximately 80 percent of strokes can be prevented with healthy lifestyle changes.
Strokes are painful. Fact: The symptoms that often lead to stroke, such as dizziness or a loss of balance, do not cause sudden pain.

Smoking doesn’t cause a stroke. Fact: Smoking is a large risk factor for stroke.

Strokes are rare. Fact: Every 45 seconds, someone in United States has a stroke and, on average, one American dies from a stroke every 4 minutes.

Drugs and alcohol use don’t increase the risk of stroke. Fact: Substance abuse and excessive alcohol consumption are leading indicators for stroke among the young.

Misdiagnosis is rare. Fact: An estimated 1 in 7 strokes in young adults is misdiagnosed.

Strokes can’t be treated. Fact: Patients who receive treatment for stroke within 4.5 hours of their first symptoms tend to have better outcomes.

It’s all in the genes. Fact: Although family history does play a role in the risk of stroke, the hereditary conditions that increase stroke risk can often be controlled.

High blood pressure and cholesterol should not be taken seriously. Fact: High blood pressure and high cholesterol contribute to stroke.

A stroke is a heart condition. Fact: Although many believe a stroke occurs in the heart, it actually takes place in the brain

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Canadians unaware of stroke rehab improvements, By Lynn Desjardins on Wednesday 12 June, 2013

Most Canadians don’t have a good understanding of stroke and 20 per cent mistakenly believe it is almost always fatal, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. They often don’t realize that research is dramatically improving the outlook for rehabilitation.

Stroke is a worldwide issue. As young people become more sedentary and eat foods containing high levels of sugar, salt and fat, they increase their chances of getting the “double whammy” of stroke and dementia at a much earlier age than their parents or grandparents, says Dale Corbett, professor of neurosciences at the University of Ottawa and head of the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Centre for Stroke Recovery.

Popular misconception holds that there is not much one can do after having a stroke. But if patients get to hospital quickly they can get drugs which will break down blood clots and dramatically limit the damage they cause.

Science improving rehab

It’s not true that after a few months of rehabilitation there can be no more improvements in a stroke survivor’s condition. Science is moving ahead rapidly in finding ways to rewire the brain to help stroke survivors regain skills they have lost in speech and mobility.

“We’re…into this exciting new area of brain repair and realizing that the brain is highly plastic,” said Corbett, “it can reorganize and rewire. And this is all a relatively new science.

“What we’re finding is that types of rehabilitation—things like exercise and other kinds of interventions—have a large impact on the brain’s ability to help heal itself after stroke…Now what we’re finding is that things like the timing or the intensity or the number of repetitions of rehabilitation makes a big difference in the amount of recovery. So science is starting to lead rehabilitation.”

Families can improve rehabilitation

Families can have an impact on a stroke survivor’s recovery, said Corbett. They can support, encourage, and even push the survivor to work hard on rehabilitation. He cited the example of one parent who built exercise equipment especially adapted to his child’s needs.

“Stroke recovery is a journey that can continue for years or a lifetime,” reads the 2013 report by the Heart and Stroke Foundation. It calls for more funding for research for the ever-growing problem of stroke.

Facts from the Heart and Stroke Foundation:

50,000 strokes occur in Canada each year—one every 10 minutes

315,000 Canadians are living with the effects of stroke.

Stroke costs the Canadian economy $3.6 billion a year.

Stroke is the leading cause of death and disability among adults.

Symptoms of stroke:

Weakness, numbness or tingling in face, arms or legs, especially on one side of the body.
Trouble speaking or understanding speech.
Sudden blurring, double vision or loss of vision.
Sudden severe headache.
Dizziness, loss of balance.
If you have these symptoms go to a hospital immediately.

Read and listen to Video.

If you could stand in someone else’s shoes… Hear what they hear. See what they see. Feel what they feel. Would you treat them differently?

These words end this incredibly beautiful video produced by the Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. We spend quite a bit of effort here at On Being focusing on the sound of the human voice and how each guest adds to our collective discussion. We attempt to draw out the best of their stories and experiences in all its messiness and glory. This video speaks to each person’s complexity, the stories that go unsaid but float just beneath the surface.

Titled “Empathy,” this video was presented by the health care organization’s CEO Toby Cosgrove at his annual State of the Clinic address on February 27, 2013. And it gets at a point that immunologist Esther Sternberg explores in her work and personal life: how new knowledge about the physical spaces of our lives can stress us, make us sick, or help us be well and connect with others.

Check this article and Video out by clicking on Empathy .

By Wendy Corona
ATLANTA — Doctors are referring to the Southeast as the Stroke Belt, and they’ve been seeing a rise in the number of younger stroke victims in the region.

While the decrease in age may be a surprise to many, youth can be an advantage in survival and rehabilitation.

Amanda Parks’ Facebook page chronicles her journey from stroke victim to Shepherd Center patient. A mother of two, Parks was only 37 when the stroke struck March 2.

“My daughter asked me, ‘Mom, what’s wrong? You can only move half your body,’” said Parks.

Dr. Ford Vox, a staff physiatrist at the Shepherd Center said, “She would’ve died had she not gone to the hospital when she did. It was the early treatments that saved her life.”

Part of Parks’ skull had to be removed to reduce swelling on the right side of her brain. Parks wears a helmet now to protect her skull.

Doctors warn that stroke knows no age.

“The No. 1 most important factor that everyone needs to know is what their blood pressure is,” said Vox.

The average age range of a stroke rehab patient is between 60 – 75. At Shepherd Center, the average stroke patient is in their 40s.

With her army of support by her side, Amanda graduated from rehab to a new reality.

“They tend to be these patients on the younger side that we’re trying to focus on and offer the most intensive therapy to because we know that there are many more decades ahead,” said Dr. Vox.

READ full article.

APRIL 02, 2013 6:30 AM • BY ERIN RUMELHART FOR THE MISSOULIAN
Stroke is a medical emergency. Stroke can leave a person with significant health challenges, affecting mobility, speech and other functions. Anyone with a loved one who has had a stroke knows how difficult these challenges can be.
Stroke is caused by a lack of blood flow to a region of the brain, either from a blood clot or from bleeding in the brain. Anyone can have a stroke regardless of age, race or gender. In fact, we think of stroke as an event of the elderly, however, 19 percent of all strokes occur among persons younger than 55 years old, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Many factors can increase one’s risk for stroke. Some risk factors are modifiable – we can do something about them – and other risk factors are not modifiable.
Here is a review of modifiable risk factors to help decrease the risk of stroke:
• Hypertension. High blood pressure (over 135/85) is the most dominant and easiest risk factor to address. Keep your blood pressure under control by changing your diet, exercise and medication. For more detail, see stroke.ahajournals.org/content/31/11/2751.full.
• Atrial fibrillation. This irregular heart rhythm increases your risk for clots. Having clots increases the risk for stroke. If you have atrial fibrillation, talk with your health provider about decreasing the risk for clots.
• Smoking. Smoking doubles your stroke risk. If you smoke, stop. Smoking cessation information and classes are available.
• Diabetes. Having diabetes makes you more susceptible to cardiovascular disease, which can result in stroke. Keep your diabetes well controlled through diet, lifestyle management and medication.
• High cholesterol. High cholesterol levels can affect your risk for a transient ischemic attack or stroke. Know your cholesterol levels. Diet, exercise and cholesterol-lowering medications will reduce your cholesterol levels and risk for stroke.
• Overweight. Being overweight predisposes you to high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, all of which can result in stroke. If you are overweight, modify your diet limit your intake of fatty foods, and exercise.
• Physical inactivity. Lack of exercise can contribute to being overweight, which, in turn, leads to a risk of stroke.
•n Excessive alcohol use. Excessive alcohol consumption narrows blood vessels and increases triglycerides. Excessive alcohol use is defined as drinking more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men.

Contact your primary care provider to discuss options to lower your risk for stroke if any of the above applies to you. Often medication and lifestyle changes can significantly lower your risk for stroke.
Time is brain. The quicker you are treated, the greater chance you have for full recovery. Your treatment will depend on which type of stroke you are having, that needs to be determined in a hospital emergency department.
Call 9-1-1 immediately or go to the emergency department if you have:
• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding others.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause.
Preventing a stroke is the best thing you can do. The second best is early intervention if you or a loved one has symptoms of a stroke. Early intervention leads to improved outcomes and less permanent disability. To find your stroke risk, fill out the Stroke Risk Scorecard at the National Stroke Association at stroke.org.
Erin Rumelhart is a registered nurse and clinical nurse manager at St. Patrick Hospital.

Click Here for original article.

Raise Stroke Awareness in Your Community

Genentech, in collaboration with National Stroke Association and American College of Emergency Physicians, has developed a variety of tools and resources to help you build a successful stroke awareness campaign in your community. And you can easily customize many of these materials by adding your institution’s logo (National Stroke Association materials are not customizable). Visit StrokeAwareness.com today for these new resources:

Build a community outreach program:

Stroke Awareness Planning Guide
F.A.S.T. Materials (poster, magnet)
Risk Assessment Scorecard (National Stroke Association)
Community Presentation on Stroke (National Stroke Association)
Explaining Stroke brochure (National Stroke Association)
Promote the campaign through mass media:

Journal Ad
Billboard
Radio Public Service Announcement
Stroke Awareness Campaign Online Banners
Amplify your message through public relations:

PR Toolkit Guide
News Release Templates
Stroke 101 Fact Sheet (National Stroke Association)
Royalty-Free Image Library
Raise awareness through social media:

Social media best practices
Suggested awareness materials and links for use on Twitter and Facebook
Download or order these resources at

How to Quickly Spot Signs of Stroke: Experts – Prompt recognition and treatment offer best chance of full recovery
By Mary Elizabeth Dallas for HealthDay on Monday 13, 2013.

MONDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) — Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arms or legs on one side of the body, confusion and trouble speaking are among the signs that someone is having a stroke. The sooner a stroke is recognized and treated, the greater the chance of recovery, experts say.

“When someone has a stroke, they may show either slight or extremely noticeable physical changes,” Dr. Randolph Marshall, chief of the stroke division at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, said in a hospital news release. “The most effective way to prevent the permanent damage associated with stroke is to recognize the signs of an attack and to seek medical attention immediately.”

Dizziness and trouble walking, loss of vision in one or both eyes and a severe headache that comes on suddenly for no apparent reason are other signs that someone is having a stroke. Early treatment, however, can prevent or possibly reverse the damage caused by strokes. The experts advised remembering the acronym “FAST” to help people recognize a stroke sooner and reduce any long-term damage.

F for Face: Does someone’s face look uneven?
A for Arm: Do you notice one arm hanging down?
S for Speech: Check for slurred speech or other signs of trouble speaking.
T for Time: Call 911 and seek immediate medical attention.

One of the most common treatments for stroke is tissue plasminogen activator, the “clot-busting” treatment also known as TPA. The drug is injected into an artery or vein to dissolve a clot and restore blood flow to the brain.

Revascularization is another treatment for stroke in which micro-catheters are placed inside the artery to remove blockages. In all cases, immediate medical attention can help reduce the damage caused by a stroke, according to the news release.

Learning how to prevent strokes with certain lifestyle changes can also save lives, the experts pointed out. “Stroke statistics are sobering: It’s the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of adult disabilities,” said Dr. Babak Navi, director of the Stroke Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, in the news release.

“On average, someone dies of stroke every four minutes,” he added. “The good news is that approximately 80 percent of strokes can be prevented.”

Lifestyle changes that can significantly reduce the risk of having a stroke include the following:

Cut back on salt. Reducing salt intake can lower blood pressure, reducing the risk for stroke. Instead of salt, season food with a variety of spices.

Eat a healthy diet. Reduce LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol levels to improve heart health and reduce the risk for stroke. Cholesterol levels should be 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or below.

Quit smoking. Smokers have twice the risk of having a stroke. Smoking damages blood vessels, increases blood pressure and accelerates the clogging of arteries.

Exercise. People who are overweight or obese are at greater risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke. Losing weight can lower the risk for stroke and ease the strain on the circulatory system.

Even with these lifestyle changes, the experts pointed out that people aged 55 years or older are still at greater risk for stroke. Also at greater risk are black people, Hispanics and those with a family history of stroke or “mini-stroke” (also called a transient ischemic attack).

Although strokes are more common in men, women who have strokes are more likely to die from them, according to the news release.

SOURCE: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, news release, May 6, 2013

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Joanne Pierson, PhD, CCC-SLP, talks with StrokeSmart about the University of Michigan’s state-of-the-art speech-impairment therapy. The aphasia expert says they’ve seen results as late as 10 years after a patient’s stroke. Read More .

By Jeffrey S. Eisenberg for Life Line Screening

Each year, an estimated 795,000 people in the United States suffer stroke. Of these, 610,000 are first or new strokes, and 136,000 strokes resulted in death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Indeed, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and is the leading cause of long-term disability.

Although individuals cannot control some risk factors, some risk factors they can modify others. “Because so many of the condition’s risk factors can be minimized by personal effort, public awareness is the key weapon in conquering stroke,” said President George H.W. Bush in 1989, when he issued Proclamation 5975 declaring May National Stroke Awareness month.

To help enhance awareness, here are some questions you may have about strokes, including risk factors, warning signs and prevention.

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Schedule appointment NOW with Life Line Screening.

About Stroke: The Stroke “Recovery Window” Myth, An article for StrokeSmart, Posted by Jim Lynskey, PT, Ph.D on May 05 2013

“They told me the window for my recovery had closed.”

Stroke survivors who exhaust traditional methods of care are routinely told by medical professionals, “there’s nothing else that can be done.” The doctors and therapists move on to the next patient and survivors face the devastating prospect of spending the rest of their lives unable to walk.

In truth, study after study shows that the so-called “window of recovery” does not exist. It is time for the medical community to raise their expectations and their standard of care for stroke patients.

Stroke is the number one cause of disability in the United States and our healthcare system is leaving millions behind. For National Stroke Awareness Month, we want to shout this news far and wide: it’s never too late to recover from a stroke.

Researchers across the world have demonstrated with a variety of interventions that it is possible for the brain and the body to be retrained and learn how to function again even decades after a stroke. We live in a golden age of stroke care where new options become available every year to break through plateaus and help survivors continue to recover mobility. Unfortunately, stroke survivors often aren’t aware of these breakthroughs.

Significant progress has been made on the drug front to reverse the effects of a stroke. Using injections of an anti-inflammatory drug, Dr. Edward Tobinick in Fort Lauderdale has shown phenomenal improvements are possible in mobility and brain function. By injecting the drug into the spinal cord of stroke survivors, 80 percent of Dr. Tobinick’s stroke patients showed improvements in their ability to walk.

Read full article, print and email by clicking on RECOVERY