Signs of a Stroke
Prevent Stroke

CALL 911 NOW!  IF YOU BELIEVE YOU OR SOMEONE WITH YOU HAS HAD A STROKE, DO NOT WAIT.  DO NOT DRIVE TO THE HOSPITAL. THERE IS EARLY TREATMENT FOR STROKE THAT CAN MINIMIZE BRAIN DAMAGE.

I am not a physician, but, rather, a dentist.  I have a few medical Internet domain names and this is one of them.  I noticed that many people logged onto this address and had the thought that, if someone needed this information,  They would need it fast. Disclaimer: This site is for your information and is not a substitute for medical care.  Stroke damage can be minimized if the patient gets to an emergency room fast.  Treatment within an hour of the beginning of a stroke can reduce the chance of death and permanent disability. That is the message of this site.  Links to more comprehensive information are included.  Ads in the margins of this site are not endorsed by me.  I do not know what ads will appear from time to time.

Thanks for visiting! Dr. Lynne Heckert

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg (especially on one side of the body)
  
  
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech
  
  
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
  
  
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
  
  
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause
  

The longer blood flow is cut off to the brain, the greater the damage. The most common kind of stroke, ischemic stroke, can be treated with a drug that dissolves clots blocking the blood flow. The window of opportunity to start treating stroke patients is three hours. But a person needs to be at the hospital within 60 minutes of having a stroke to be evaluated and receive treatment.  (Source: The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a division of NIH)