The Clinic Family Practice in Weslaco, Mid Valley Urgent Care in Mercedes, Knapp Medical Center available to help patients reduce their risk of ‘brain attacks’
WESLACO – Lives could be saved and tragic disabilities could be prevented if more people knew the warning signs for a stroke or “brain attack”.
Strokes are a leading cause of long-term disability and the nation’s fifth leading cause of death. However, a large percentage of the population doesn’t know if they are at risk for stroke — and many people don’t know what to look for as far as signs and symptoms of stroke.
Rio Grande Valley residents are urged to learn these warning signs – and to act quickly by calling 911 when a brain attack occurs.
Healthcare professionals are available at The Clinic Family Practice in Weslaco, Mid Valley Urgent Care in Mercedes, and at Knapp Medical Center to help patients in the Mid-Valley become more aware of their risk of stroke.
For example, one of the major causes of stroke is high blood pressure – and controlling blood pressure is critical is reducing a person’s risk for suffering a stroke or from heart disease.
In addition, many people in the Valley are at greater risk for stroke because of high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes.
Stroke is a disease which affects the arteries leading to the brain and the blood vessels within the brain. A stroke occurs when an artery that carries oxygen to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs — and that part of the brain starts to die.
At Knapp Medical Center, a “clot-busting” medication called tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) is used when medically indicated to possibly reverse a stroke. In many cases, this medication has been shown to help improve a patient’s chances of surviving a stroke without permanent disability – or to minimize the severity of disabilities.
However, the medication is most effective if it is administered as soon as possible from when symptoms of a stroke start – and no later than three to four and a half hours after the onset of a stroke.
Because of this tight time window, it is important to call 911 immediately whenever a loved one or another person shows the following warning signs of stroke:
“B” – BALANCE: Is the person suddenly having trouble with walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination?
“E” – EYES: Does the person have sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes?
“F” – FACE: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
“A” – ARMS: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
“S” – SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?
“T” – TERRIBLE HEADACHE: Is the person suffering from a sudden severe headache with no known cause?
“T” – TIME: If you observe any of these signs, call 911 immediately.
Knapp Medical Center is certified as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, the national accrediting organization for hospitals in the United States. In addition, Knapp Medical Center has received the “Stroke Gold Plus” and “Target: Stroke Honor Roll” awards for care of stroke patients (from the American Heart Association).
One recent patient and her husband expressed gratitude for the quick actions taken by physicians and nurses in the Knapp Emergency Room – which helped result in a good outcome for the patient.
“I was not able to speak,” the patient recalled. “When we got here (to Knapp), the care was so good … and I wanted to thank the Lord and all the caregivers for their expertise.”
For more information about prevention of stroke and other health conditions, please contact The Clinic Family Practice in Weslaco at (956) 565-2727 or Mid Valley Urgent Care in Mercedes at 956-825-3749, and visit www.stroke.org. Most importantly, call 911 without delay when a person shows signs of a possible stroke.