Stroke Symptoms

Strokes occur when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, causing brain tissue damage and loss. Stroke symptoms usually happen suddenly and can include:

• Numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg-especially on one side of the body
• Confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Severe headache with no known cause

If you are experiencing these symptoms, please call 911.

The Medical Center of Aurora has a stroke alert program to provide patients with quick and effective stroke treatments. In 2009, The Medical Center of Aurora was designated a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission.

Statistics (From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association):

• Stroke is the third most common cause of death, ranking behind "diseases of the heart" and all forms of cancer.
• Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States.
• 700,000 people have a new or recurrent stroke each year (200,000 of those are persons with recurrent stroke).
• Approximately 50,000,000 Americans have high blood pressure, a risk factor for stroke.

Risk Factors - Changeable Factors:

• Atrial fibrillation
• Heart disease
• Artery disease
• Smoking
• Cocaine abuse
• Diabetes
• Alcohol use
• High red blood cell count
• Physical inactivity or obesity

Risk Factors - Non-Changeable Factors:

• African-American ethnicity
• Age greater than 65 years
• Female
• History of stroke
• Sickle cell disease

Things you can do to help prevent a stroke:

• Be faithful with annual health physicals
• Know family history (hereditary traits)
• Stop smoking
• If diabetic, check blood sugar before each meal and at bedtime to monitor and maintain safe blood glucose levels
• Have cholesterol checked yearly
• If you have high blood pressure, monitor it daily
• Increase your exercise
• Eat a low fat, low cholesterol American Heart Association diet

To learn more about your risk for stroke, consider having a stroke risk assessment at The Medical Center of Aurora.