A new study from Mayo Clinic shows that many people experiencing a stroke have no idea they’re having one, mainly because they don’t know the symptoms of stroke. Though stroke is very common, people are much less aware of the signs compared to those of a heart attack, even though stroke can be just as deadly.
The findings are published in the Emergency Medicine Journal .
Additionally, one fifth of those having a stroke don’t realize there are treatments that can help, provided they reach a hospital in time. If the delay in seeking help is more than three hours, there’s not much doctors can do. Within that time frame, they may be able to stop further damage from a blood clot.
“Time is crucial in treating stroke,” says Latha Stead, M.D., emergency medicine specialist and lead author of the study. “Each individual’s medical background differs and affects recovery, but in general the sooner a patient experiencing a stroke reaches emergency care, the more likely the stroke can be limited and the condition managed to prevent further damage and improve recovery.” The researchers say their findings clearly indicate that better public understanding of stroke symptoms will lead to a faster response and better outcomes.
To read more on this study, click on this link: http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2008-rst/5102.html
Below is a link to a youtube video with Dr. Stead discussing the study.
