Wrong Medication. Wrong Decision.
When my 81 year old dearest mother-friend randomly dropped a glass from her left hand while doing dishes – she thought it was because she was having a side effect from the blood thinning medicine her doctor prescribed for her heart condition (atrial fibrillation). She rationalized that it was time to stop taking the blood thinner because this random drop of a glass with no warning – followed by the pins and needle sensation in her entire arm – was a side effect that was not worth the risk of the medication.
What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You
Well, that decision would have been stellar had it only been the right one. What my dearest mother-friend did not realize was that she had suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA). This is also known as a “mini stroke” and the scientific data that has been gathered says that a person who has a TIA is at markedly increased risk for a MAJOR STROKE. True to probability – she went on to have a major stroke within one month, leaving her without function of her left side and a permanent droop on the right side of her face. While she was blessed not to have suffered any significant decline in her mental function and cognitive abilities, being that keenly aware also lead to a very sad and challenging season of second guessing, guilt and depression. But fortunately, she used her mental function and cognitive abilities to her benefit and has adjusted to living her life without use of her left side. She is an incredible woman. She is my inspiration.
What Does a TIA Look Like?
Simply put, a TIA looks like a STROKE – except it only lasts temporarily (from seconds to minutes) then goes away. That’s where the word “TRANSIENT” comes in. Just for a little while, then everything goes away nearly as quickly as it came. Here are some of the more common symptoms of a mini stroke.
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg – especially on one side of the body.
- Sudden confusion or problems understanding.
- Sudden difficulty speaking.
- Sudden vision difficulty in one or both eyes.
- Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, or difficulty walking.
- Sudden severe headache with no apparent cause
The ONLY difference between a TIA and a STROKE is that a TIA will go away (for a period) and a stroke will be permanent unless reversed by rapid medical intervention.
Why It Is Important to Act F. A. S. T.
The longer it takes for you to recognize that you or someone else is having a stroke, the lower the chance that you will eligible to receive timely, life saving, stroke reversing intervention. It is an instance where you literally could run out of time to receive an intervention that could make a difference between permanent disability/death and recovery of brain function. The longer you take the lower your chances for getting better.
When you suspect that you or someone else might be having a stroke – ALWAYS think F. A. S. T.
F – FACE : Look at their face. Is is suddenly different? Droopy on one side? New crooked smile? Call 9-1-1! Does your face feel numb/tingly/swollen? Does your tongue feel thick? – Call 9-1-1!
A – ARMS: Tell them to “Throw your hands in the air and wave them like you just don’t care” or any other cultural vernacular you prefer to use. If one arm goes up and the other stays floppy – Call 9-1-1! Does one arm feel weak, numb, tingly? Did you just drop something for no apparent reason and your arm feels funny or weak? Call 9-1-1!
S – SPEECH: Ask them to talk to you or have them repeat a phrase like “In the twinkling of an eye your life could change” or any other statement you know they know and can say. If it comes out all garbled or slurred or incomprehensible – Call 9-1-1! If you can’t talk, or feel like your words are strange, or you can’t think of the words you need to say – Call 9-1-1!
T – TIME: This is to remind you if you haven’t done this already, CALL 9-1-1! It will be important to remember the time that the symptoms started as precisely as possible because this determines what interventions will be available to treat the stroke once you arrive to the hospital. The sooner the better… The Sooner the Better… THE SOONER THE BETTER!!!
If your stroke like symptoms resolve – TAKE ONE ASPIRIN. The blood thinning effect of aspirin has been shown to be helpful for strokes. Current available scientific data demonstrate a small but statistically significant decline in mortality and unfavorable outcomes with the administration of aspirin within 48 hours after a stroke. It appears that the primary effects of aspirin are attributable to a reduction in early recurrent stroke. [http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/early/2013/01/31/STR.0b013e318284056a]
Take one aspirin. The life you save may be your own.
May is Stroke Awareness Month. For more information visit www.stroke.org or www.strokeawareness.com
