Taking Care of You: KNOW THE SIGNS OF STROKE – & CALL 911 TO SAVE BRAIN CELLS

Mid Valley Urgent Care in Mercedes, The Clinic in Weslaco available to help patients in reducing their risk of stroke

Strokes, also known as “brain attacks”, are a leading cause of long-term disability and the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. 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 a warning sign or symptom of stroke.

To save lives – and to save your loved ones from potentially-tragic disabilities – — Rio Grande Valley residents are urged to learn the signs and symptoms of stroke – and to act quickly by calling 911 when a brain attack occurs.

Healthcare professionals are available at Mid Valley Urgent Care in Mercedes, and at The Clinic Family Practice and Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco 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.

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 several awards for care of stroke patients, including the “Stroke Gold Plus” and “Target: Stroke Honor Roll” awards from the American Heart Association.

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. Always remember to call 911 without delay when a person shows signs of a possible stroke.

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