There are an
estimated 50,000 strokes in Canada each year. It’s hard to imagine, but that’s
one stroke every 10 minutes. With over 14,000 Canadians dying from stroke every
year, it’s the third leading cause of death in Canada.
Early access
to expert stroke care is essential to ensure the best possible outcomes. For
every minute delay in treating a stroke, the average person loses 1.9 million
brain cells. Each hour in which treatment does not occur, the brain loses as
many neurons as it does in almost 3.6 years of normal aging.
Strokes are
common, preventable and treatable. They key is knowing the signs of stroke
during the initial onset and not ignoring them. There is a limited window of
time from the onset of a stroke to administering a drug that could drastically increase
the chance of survival and reduce and in some cases even reverse the effects of
a stroke. This drug, called tPA, can only be used within 3.0 hours(and
sometimes up to 4.5 hours) of the onset of symptoms, making it extremely
important to note the time that the first signs of stroke occurred, call 911
and to the hospital.
June is
Stroke Month, so what better time to remind ourselves of the warning signs and
symptoms and act FAST. There is a tendency for some people to shrug off the
symptoms of a stroke, so it’s important to know and remember the FAST acronym
and pay attention to the symptoms.
Face – is it dropping?
Arms – can you raise both?
Speech – is it slurred or
jumbled?
Time – to call 9-1-1 right
away
Here in
Muskoka, timely stroke care is provided through the Simcoe/Muskoka Acute Stroke
Protocol and the District Stroke Centre at MAHC’s Huntsville site. This means
that a patient with stroke symptoms anywhere in Muskoka and East Parry Sound is
treated in Huntsville by the specialized stroke team. The region is also
fortunate to have a District Stroke Nurse who provides community education
about stroke and stroke care.
We at MAHC
are proud to be part of a regional stroke program under the Central East Stroke
Network, one of 11 regional areas across the province working toward fewer strokes
and better outcomes.
