By Liberty Hospital
According to the American Heart Association, 1.9 million brain cells die each minute during a stroke. That is why every second counts in recognizing the symptoms and getting medical attention immediately. If treated quickly, there is an opportunity to stop and even reverse a stroke.
Stroke is caused by a clot or a rupture in a blood vessel wall that results in the blockage of blood flow to the brain and the delivery of oxygen to brain cells. The fastest treatment usually is medication, sometimes followed by an intervention for larger clots, which includes the deployment of a mesh “net” to retrieve a clot from the blocked blood vessel. For strokes that involve a rupture, surgery usually is required.
While common physical effects of a stroke include paralysis, trouble with balance or coordination, numbness or sensitivity to light and noise, not all effects are visible.
Post-stroke anxiety and depression occur in one-third of stroke survivors and may present as emotional distress and mood disturbance. These mental health concerns often go unrecognized.
The Liberty Hospital Stroke Support Group aims to help with this. Stroke program manager Courtney Gooding advocates for stroke survivors and their caregivers.
“We provide a safe place to share their experiences and encourage one another,” Gooding said. “Talking allows people to find pathways and strategies to manage their lives after stroke and process the ways it has impacted their day-to-day living.”
Support group meetings offer resources, education, emotional support and time for members to listen to one another with a focus on recovery and resilience.
Liberty Hospital’s Stroke Support Group is free and open to both stroke survivors and caregivers. Meetings are from 1:30-3 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month, at the Liberty Hospital Education Center, Room 5, located at 2525 Glenn Hendren Drive in Liberty.
For more information about stroke and the Liberty Hospital Stroke Support Group, contact Gooding at 415-7795 or cgooding@libertyhospital.org.
May is Stroke Awareness Month. Do you know the signs of a stroke? Remember BE FAST:
B = loss of balance
E = eyesight is blurry, particularly in one eye
F = face droops on one side
A = one arm droops or cannot be raised
S = speech is slurred or jumbled
T = TIME IS BRAIN! Do not wait! Call 9-1-1 at the first sign of stroke
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, and diabetes are leading causes of stroke. One in three US adults has at least one of these conditions or risk factors. – American Heart Association
