November 2000

Brain Attack

Stroke is a word that invokes fear and dread for everyone, especially those in the appropriate age group. It is a disease whose origin is the lifestyle we chose to live years before we know better. Up until now there was very little we could do to prevent a stroke other than attempt to change lifestyle factors. Once one had a stroke there was little the medical community could do. Other than attempt to reduce complications, doctors basically, along with concerned family members, could do little more than watch and pray. Most of the time near complete function would be restored. However, as we all know, permanent impairments may result such as weakness, paralysis, speech impairment, and dementia.

Many advances have been made in allowing individuals who have suffered a stroke and suffer from the adverse consequences to live as normal a life as possible. Life@Home is just one resource available to stroke victims to make their home as safe and convenient as possible. New medical advances have now become available to treat stroke after it has happened. No longer are doctors simply informed observers of the stroke process. Just like there are now treatments available to heart attack victims in the first minutes and hours, there are now similar treatments available to stroke victims. To inform the public of these advances and to encourage treatment of stroke, it has been proposed that an appropriate name for stroke would be "brain attack".

The brain is less forgiving than the heart when deprived of oxygen. A brain attack is simply a vessel being blocked and not being able to bring oxygen via the blood to the brain. Within minutes brain cells begin to die due to the lack of oxygen. If appropriate treatment is not begun immediately and certainly within one hour, there will be little more to do than watch and wait as before. At the first hint of a brain attack one should call 911 and notify the Emergency Medical System of its occurrence. Upon arrival to a hospital a CT scan should be performed to ascertain if there has been a bleed or if there is a mass present. This would exclude one from further treatment. If the patient is an appropriate candidate, drugs such as tPA, a thrombolytic agent or "clot buster", could be given. Some doctors at certain hospitals will even attempt placing a catheter in the blocked artery and lysing the specific clot. Though these treatments are controversial in some circles, the point is there are now treatments available to treat the acute stroke or "brain attack".

Of course, the best treatment is preventing a stroke in the first place. No one in our enlightened society should smoke cigarettes. Eating a sensible diet low in fat and simple carbohydrates and involving several servings of fruits and vegetables is recommended. Controlling high blood pressure and exercising regularly will also help lower the possibility of a stroke. If, however, one does suffer a stroke, better called a "brain attack", get to a hospital quickly so these new treatments may be of benefit.

Life@Home staff writer