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This May is American Stroke Month, a multi-agency effort that seeks to provide the public with more information about one of America’s most common adverse health events. Each year, nearly 800,000 people suffer a stroke, leading to 140,000 deaths. This makes it the leading cause of death in America, and a major cause of serious disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Luckily, a stroke is often preventable and treatable. That’s why it is crucial to know the risk factors and warning signs.
Stroke Statistics
Though strokes can affect people of all ages, they are most commonly seen in those over 65. According to the Stoke Awareness Foundation, the risk of stroke doubles each decade after an adult turns 55.
While treatable, the adverse health effects of a stroke can be debilitating, sometimes affecting survivors for the rest of their lives. Of the 7 million stroke survivors in the United States, more than two-thirds suffer from some sort of disability as a result of the stroke, the Stroke Awareness Foundation reports.
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, strokes are more common in men, but more deadly in women. Additionally, strokes are more common, and more deadly, in African American adults, regardless of age.
Stroke Risk Factors
When thinking of adverse health events related to the cardiovascular system, most adults tend to think of heart attacks. But this isn’t the only adverse event that can come from poor cardiovascular health, as heart health is one of the leading factors when it comes to stroke risk.
According to Johns Hopkins, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, smoking and high cholesterol are all risk factors for stroke. Additionally, other risk factors include age, race, gender and genetics.
These risk factors mean that maintaining heart health is key to avoiding stroke. This means that adults should exercise regularly, refrain from smoking or excessive drinking, consume heart-healthy foods and regularly check in with their healthcare provider to assess cardiovascular health.
Signs of a Stroke
According to the American Stroke Association, more than 1.9 million brain cells die every minute that a stroke goes untreated. Thus, getting treatment is critical to lowering the risk of an adverse outcome. And to get treatment, one must understand the signs and symptoms of a stroke.
Several health agencies have made this easier through their usage of an acronym – FAST. Its meaning is as follows:
F – Face drooping
A – Arm weakness
S – Speech difficulty (such as slurring)
T – Time to call 911
Additionally, men and women can sometimes have slightly different symptoms of a stroke. Signs of stroke in women include feeling weak, disoriented, fatigued and nauseous, in addition to vomiting.
A stroke is a serious medical condition, one that can lead to poor health outcomes in both the short term and long term. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the factors behind a stroke and the symptoms of stroke.
By knowing the symptoms of a stroke, you can take action quickly, and improve the chances of a positive health outcome.
Throughout her esteemed career as a board-certified neurological physical therapy specialist, lecturer and researcher, Kay Wing, PT, DPT, NCS, has always been interested in new technology that has the potential to benefit stroke survivors in her practice, SWAN Rehab (Phoenix, Arizona). When she learned about the Vivistim Paired VNS System, Wing was eager to enroll stroke survivors in the clinical trial based on the research supporting vagus nerve stimulation for ischemic stroke recovery. The results are clear; stroke survivors who participate in paired vagus nerve stimulation in conjunction with their physical therapy improve their hand and arm mobility two to three times more than those who had physical therapy alone. In this post, Wing explains how the FDA-approved Vivistim System works and why its a gamechanger for stroke recovery.By Kay Wing, PT, DPT, NCS What is the Vivistim Paired VNS System?The FDA-approved Vivistim Paired VNS System is a vagus nerve stimulation device that stroke rehabilitation therapists pair with rehabilitation exercises to help improve outcomes (or gains) for stroke survivors even years after theyve had a stroke, potentially generating two to three times more hand and arm function for ischemic stroke survivors than therapy alone.The small pacemaker-like device is placed just under the skin in the upper left chest area during an outpatient procedure. Soon after, the stroke survivor will begin physical or occupational therapy. The therapist will have the stroke survivor repeatedly perform specific rehabilitation exercises designed around each persons specific needs and goals to help them improve their function. During these exercises, the therapist will be sending signals to the persons Vivistim device to send a pulse through the vagus nerve to the brain that helps tell the brain what to relearn.This highly repetitious pairing of vagus nerve stimulation with stroke rehabilitation helps to increase what is known as neuroplasticity , the process of engaging other undamaged parts of the brain to take over the work that had previously been done by the parts of the brain damaged in the stroke.Surviving an Ischemic StrokeAbout 60% of stroke survivors experience persistent upper limb issues for 6 months or more. This fact has both inspired and challenged me personally and professionally. My grandfather survived a stroke when I was in high school but never fully recovered. The feeling that more couldve been done for my grandfather to regain function has guided me throughout my career specializing in neurological physical therapy. The passion that inspired me to open my private practice clinic, Southwest Advanced Neurological Rehabilitation (SWAN Rehab), 25 years ago has consistently been reinvigorated throughout my career as technology evolves and new medical devices are developed that make stroke rehabilitation more effective.My goal is to help stroke survivors experience a better quality of life, especially as it helps them regain the ability to do activities of daily life, such as brushing their teeth, getting dressed, cooking or enjoying a meal. Beyond that, I know its equally as important for stroke survivors to get back to the hobbies that are important to them.Like Joe, who came to SWAN Rehab through Vivistim and really wanted to be able to play his guitar again, restore his antique cars, swing a hammer, squeeze a screw gun and pull a tape measure for his construction projects.Kay performing Joes first assessment.Getting Back to Doing What You LoveThe Vivistim Paired VNS System enabled our SWAN Rehab team to help make these gains, that were so important to Joe, a reality. In traditional physical therapy, we concentrate on improving motor function in the hand and arm with repetitive tasks, such as reaching, buttoning, flipping, stacking, grasping and releasing. With Paired VNS Therapy, however, we incorporate these tasks as we signal the Vivistim device to send an electrical pulse through the vagus nerve to the brain.We repeat these specific repetitive movements over and over again. This repetition is continued with a home exercise program to help achieve the large number of repetitions required to help induce neuroplasticity and relearn how to move. The Vivistim Systems repetitive simultaneous pairing of hand and arm therapy with vagus nerve stimulation is a gamechanger in helping stroke survivors get better results faster because it directly stimulates the brain.Ive seen it firsthand in my clinic. Stroke survivors engaging in traditional therapy see incremental improvement in their hand and arm function over several months. For comparison, stroke survivors who do traditional therapy in conjunction with vagus nerve stimulation get greater improvement in their affected hands and arms within just six weeks.To help Joe get back to doing the things that are important to him, we dedicated some sessions to practice picking up, grasping and using a guitar pick while his therapist signaled the vagus nerve stimulation device with each hand and arm motion. We also had him practice picking up, grasping and swinging a hammer.As a car enthusiast, Joe didnt immediately recognize the correlation between practicing opening jars or cleaning the windows in our clinic as we signaled the Vivistim device during activities that he wanted to get back to, but when he was able to get in his garage and open the gas caps on his car or wash and polish the cars, he was excited about how the benefits of Paired VNS therapy related to his personal goals.Joe will tell you, though, its not an overnight change and doesnt just happen with a couple of hours of in-clinic therapy a few days a week. The Vivistim System also requires stroke survivors to engage in stroke therapy at home, using a magnet that activates the VNS device for 30 minutes at a time while theyre cooking, washing dishes, folding laundry, playing with their children, getting dressed, or any other daily activity.Video Player00:0000:29 First Success, Then ProgressIts always been my philosophy that therapy has to be challenging to keep stroke survivors motivated. I like the Vivistim Paired VNS System because it fosters this philosophy by helping stroke survivors first achieve success by completing tasks in therapy and then continuing to make progress toward their functional goals with the at-home therapy. With Vivistim, stroke survivors are actively engaged, challenged and motivated throughout the recovery process.Paired VNS Therapy is such a breakthrough medical technology for stroke rehabilitation because it helps stroke survivors improve their hand and arm function two to three times more than traditional stroke rehabilitation alone. Of the hundreds of medical devices and innovative therapy techniques Ive implemented in my practice, nothing else has been clinically proven to help stroke survivors achieve this level of improvement in such a short timeframe and in the chronic phase of stroke.If youre a stroke survivor who wants to improve your level of hand and arm mobility even if its been some time since you had your stroke, I hope my experience, Joes improvements as well as those of other stroke survivors encourage you to take the Vivistim survey to see if Paired VNS Therapy is right for you.Video Player00:0000:09 About Kay Wing PT, DPT, NCSKay Wing, PT, DPT, NCS, is the founder of Southwest Advanced Neurological Rehabilitation (SWAN Rehab) and an adjunct professor at Northern Arizona University and A.T. Still University. As a board-certified specialist in neurological physical therapy, Dr. Wing is passionate about working with clients recovering from strokes, traumatic brain injuries and other neurological diseases. Keen on innovation and advancing whats possible in neurological physical therapy, Dr. Wing has authored several peer-reviewed journal articles and led numerous clinical trials. As such, shes won prestigious awards throughout her 40-year-career, leading her peers to regard her as an esteemed physical therapist.
By Dr. Ronald Lawton, Grand River Health Director of Emergency ServicesWhat is a stroke and how does it affect men?A stroke occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is interrupted, causing brain cells to die. This can result in loss of function, such as speech, movement, vision, or memory. Stroke is a serious medical emergency that requires immediate attention. According to the American Stroke Association, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. Men are more likely than women to have a stroke, and they tend to have strokes at a younger age. Men also have a higher risk of dying from a stroke than women.What are the risk factors and warning signs of stroke?Some of the risk factors for stroke are common among men, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity. To reduce the risk of stroke, men should adopt a healthy lifestyle, including eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, managing stress, and getting regular check-ups. Some of the warning signs of stroke are sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body, sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding, sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, or sudden severe headache with no known cause. If you or someone you know experiences any of these signs, call 911 or get to a hospital right away. Remember the acronym FAST to help you recognize and respond to a stroke: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 911.What are the treatment options and recovery prospects for stroke?The treatment options and recovery prospects for stroke depend on the type, location, and severity of the stroke, as well as the time of intervention. There are two main types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic stroke is caused by a clot that blocks a blood vessel in the brain, and it can be treated with clot-busting drugs or mechanical devices that remove the clot. There is a short window of opportunity to use the clot-busting drugs, so it is important to call 911 or get to an emergency department as soon as possible after symptoms begin. Hemorrhagic stroke is caused by a rupture of a blood vessel in the brain, and it can be treated with surgery or medication to stop the bleeding and reduce the pressure. The sooner the treatment is started, the better the chances of survival and recovery. Recovery from stroke can be a long and challenging process, involving physical, cognitive, and emotional rehabilitation. Some of the common effects of stroke are paralysis, speech impairment, memory loss, depression, and anxiety. However, with the help of medical professionals, family, friends, and support groups, many stroke survivors can regain some or most of their abilities and enjoy a fulfilling life.
Act FAST For a Stroke! Stroke is an emergency and a brain attack. Learn how to act FAST and call 911 at the first sign of stroke.Recognizing stroke symptoms can be easy if you remember to think FAST. Use FAST to remember the warning signs: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. Does the speech sound slurred or strange?T= Time If you observe any of these signs, its time to call 911May is Stroke Awareness Month. The National Stroke Association has easy ways for you to learn more about stroke before it happens to you or someone else. If you have any questions, please call us at 303-444-4040.
Elison Assisted Living of Bella Vita is a vibrant senior living community located in the heart of Venice, Florida. Situated at 1420 E Venice Avenue, this community offers a blend of comfort, care, and coastal charm, providing residents with a lifestyle that feels like a permanent vacation.About Elison Assisted Living of Bella VitaElison Assisted Living of Bella Vita is dedicated to enhancing the lives of seniors by offering personalized care in a luxurious setting. The community features a range of thoughtfully designed apartment options, including one-bedroom, one-bedroom deluxe, and two-bedroom layouts, all equipped with kitchenettes, bathrooms, and spacious living areas. Residents benefit from services such as housekeeping, maintenance, linen services, and 24-hour nurse access, ensuring a comfortable and secure living environment.Lifestyle and AmenitiesThe community is designed to foster an active and social lifestyle. Residents can enjoy a variety of amenities, including a beauty salon and barbershop, library, heated pool, billiards room, outdoor patio, and fitness room. A robust calendar of events and activities, such as arts and crafts, scheduled outings, exercise classes, and faith services, encourages engagement and community participation.Dining ExperienceDining at Elison Assisted Living of Bella Vita is a highlight, with a dedicated culinary team preparing three restaurant-quality meals daily. The menus feature fresh, local ingredients and are designed to cater to residents' preferences, making mealtime both nutritious and enjoyable.Location and CommunityLocated just minutes from local beaches, shops, and healthcare providers, Elison Assisted Living of Bella Vita offers residents the best of both worlds: a peaceful, tropical setting and easy access to the vibrant attractions of Venice, Florida. The community's central location ensures that residents can enjoy the area's natural beauty and amenities while receiving the care and support they need.