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Joseph P. Kennedy was one of the most powerful men of his time whose children became a president, two senators and numerous other positions.
In 1961, he suffered a stroke that left him mute, paralyzed and confined helplessly to a wheelchair.
Today he would have been rushed to the hospital and infused with tPA or a similar substance that can dissolve the clot causing the stroke, often completely reversing all the symptoms. If that is not an option, then a tiny catheter can be inserted in an artery and moved up to the clot where it can be removed; sometimes neurosurgery can help. Being able to reverse a stroke is one of the miracles of modern medicine for those for whom this is an option.
Quick action is vital
Not all strokes are due to clots, nor can all can be helped so dramatically, and some not at all, but the important thing is to recognize the symptoms and rush the patient to a local stroke center as soon as possible.
We all know to do that for someone with chest pain or other signs of a heart attack, but few people recognize strokes early enough and seldom see it as an emergency requiring immediate transport to a properly equipped medical center.
That is why the term, ‘Brain Attack,’ is being popularized, hoping to alert people to the urgency.
The window of opportunity to reverse a blood clot stroke is only three to six hours from onset of symptoms!
How to recognize that a stroke is in progress
Strokes affect men and women of all ages and even occur as early as childhood.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke lists the following symptoms of stroke:
Sometimes the only sign is someone suddenly seeming to be unresponsive or lost to the world around him or her, often temporarily. While there can be many causes for that, it could be sign of stroke.
Brief symptoms that get better can be ominous warning signs
TIA (Transient ischemic Attack) is an early warning sign of a major stroke to come. The fact that the symptoms resolve in a few minutes to a few hours does not mean the person is out of danger. Anyone with symptoms that might possibly be a TIA should be seen immediately at a hospital!
Heart Attacks and Brain Attacks – both need immediate help!
October 2011
