What Doctors Want You to Know About Stroke: Prevention, Types, and Essential Care

Strokes can happen suddenly, and they’re more common than you might think.

Over 1,600 people in Oklahoma die from strokes every year. Nationwide, someone dies from a stroke about every 3 minutes. Those who survive a stroke are often left with some level of disability, such as memory loss and difficulty walking, using their hands, talking, and engaging in life the way they did before their stroke.

Understanding strokes, knowing what you can do to reduce your risk and how to spot one, is crucial for getting the right care quickly.

What do doctors want you to know about strokes? Read on to find out.

Make Sure You Get the Right Care

Know where to go if you think you or someone you’re with is having a stroke. Urgent care clinics do not treat strokes, and some hospitals don’t either. Call 911. The ambulance will take you to the nearest hospital that is equipped to care for strokes.

Hospitals that treat strokes have caregivers; specialized doctors, nurses, imaging techs, and pharmacists ready to jump into action. Their goal is to quickly diagnose and treat patients. This fast response helps reduce damage to the brain and improves chances of a good recovery. During this time, patients and their families may not fully understand what’s going on and the urgency can feel like a blur. It’s important to speak up if you have questions or concerns.

If you want to check out hospitals before there’s an emergency, look for one that has a 24/7 emergency department and stroke team, as well as stroke center certification. When you call for an ambulance, you can ask paramedics to take you there.

OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center is a certified Comprehensive Stroke Center. This means patients get the highest level of stroke care around the clock, close to home. After, rehabilitation (like physical, occupational, and speech therapies) and support services help with recovery.

Don’t Skip Your Medication

If you’ve had a stroke, taking your medications as prescribed is key for preventing another one and staying healthy.

These medications may manage risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol. Keeping these conditions in check can lower the chance of having another stroke.

On the other hand, skipping doses or not taking your medication can lead to serious problems, like making your condition worse or causing another stroke.

If you’re not sure how to take your medication, talk to your healthcare provider; your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist, who can explain how to take it and side effects to watch for.

Types of Strokes and Causes of Strokes

Ischemic strokes happen when a blood clot blocks a vessel supplying blood to the brain. It is the most common type, making up about 87% of all strokes.

Hemorrhagic strokes occur when a blood vessel in or on the brain bursts, bleeding into the surrounding tissue. This bleeding damages the brain by stopping blood and oxygen from flowing properly. About 13% of strokes are hemorrhagic, and high blood pressure is the most common cause. There are two types:

Intracerebral hemorrhage, where bleeding is inside the brain, and subarachnoid hemorrhage, where bleeding is between the brain and its outer covering.

Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), sometimes called “mini-strokes” or “warning strokes,” is a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain. The clot usually goes away on its own, and symptoms can last for a few minutes to a day. Even though the blockage is brief, TIAs can be a warning of a future stroke.

Cryptogenic strokes are ischemic strokes that don’t have an obvious cause. About a third of all strokes are cryptogenic. Since the cause of a stroke affects the patient’s treatment, doctors will do more tests to find out what led to the stroke and plan ongoing care.

Understanding these different types of strokes can help you recognize the signs and seek timely treatment.

You Can Lower Your Stroke Risk

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke, along with heart disease, diabetes, and high cholesterol. This is why it’s important to take your medications as prescribed.

Lifestyle changes are important, too. A balanced diet low in salt, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol, and quitting smoking can lower your stroke risk and improve your overall health.

Recognize a Stroke

Use the acronym “BE FAST” to recognize symptoms of a stroke:

• Balance – Sudden loss of balance
• Eyes – Sudden loss or changes in vision
• Face – Facial droop, uneven smile
• Arm – Arm or leg numbness or weakness
• Speech – Slurred speech or difficulty speaking or understanding
• Time – Get help immediately — call 911 — and note the time the symptoms started

With strokes, every second counts. If you think you or someone you’re with is having a stroke, call 911 ASAP. Paramedics will notify the hospital so the stroke team is ready when you arrive, and they can begin treatment on the way.

Do not drive to the hospital! Driving takes time, check-in at the emergency department can be slow, and treatment is delayed — increasing the risk of further damage to the brain.

OU Health Comprehensive Stroke Center

OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center is a certified Comprehensive Stroke Center. This is the highest level of certification from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and The Joint Commission, a nonprofit group that sets quality and safety standards for healthcare nationwide. This means patients get top-tier care — close to home.

Fast and effective treatment is a priority for treating stroke. OU Health’s goal is to give stroke-busting medication (called “tPA”) within 30 minutes of the patient’s arrival. If that isn’t an option, a doctor will remove the clot (called “endovascular thrombectomy”) within 60 minutes. This quick treatment is vital for limiting damage in the brain and reducing lasting effects of the stroke.

Helping patients recover from stroke is also a priority. A full rehabilitation program that includes physical, occupation, and speech therapies helps regain independence and improve quality of life.

“OU Health maintains the highest standards of stroke care through the expertise of highly qualified providers and a robust quality improvement process,” said OU Health neurologist Dr. Evgeny Sidorov, M.D., Ph.D., professor and Chief of Vascular and Inpatient Neurology at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center. “This commitment results in the shortest times for stroke care and the best outcomes.”

Learn more about stroke and the OU Health Comprehensive Stroke Center.