What is a stroke?

Every 45 seconds, someone in America has a stroke. Your brain requires a constant flow of oxygen-rich blood to function properly. If blood flow is interrupted – even for a few minutes – brain cells begin to die. During a stroke, thousands of brain cells die every second due to blood supply problems. A lack of blood supply to your brain can affect your ability to speak, swallow, remember and move.

According to the American Stroke Association, stroke is a leading cause of disability and the No. 5 cause of death in the U.S.

The good news is that the timing of stroke treatment can make all the difference in the outcome. If proper stroke treatment is administered quickly, damage to the brain can be minimized. That’s why we offer prompt, comprehensive stroke treatment – so you can recover quickly and get back to living your best life.

Signs of a stroke

It’s important to be aware of stoke symptoms as they can progress quickly. If you or a loved one is experiencing any of the stroke symptoms below, call 9-1-1 and seek immediate medical attention. Every second counts.

To remember the symptoms of a stroke, remember to B.E. F.A.S.T.:

• B = Balance Do you have sudden loss of balance or coordination?
• E = Eyes Is your vision blurred? Do you have double vision or sudden trouble seeing out of one or both eyes?
• F = Face Can you smile? Does one side of your face sag or droop?
• A = Arms Can you raise both arms? Or does one arm drift downward?
• S = Speech Is your speech slurred or strange-sounding? Can you repeat a single sentence?
• T = Terrible headache and time to call 911 Sudden onset of a terrible headache or “the worst headache of your life.”

Problems with balance, sight, facial muscles, arms and speech all arise from abnormal or involuntary muscle movements (dyskinesias) caused by the stroke. The signs of a stroke can happen fast, so it’s important to know what you’re looking for and to seek medical attention as soon as possible.

What are the different types of strokes?

There are several different types of strokes, as well as other conditions that affect the brain and its blood vessels. These conditions are known as cerebrovascular conditions and can mimic stroke symptoms. They include things like brain aneurysm and hemorrhage.

Types of stroke we treat include:

• Ischemic stroke: The most common type, which happens when an artery to the brain becomes blocked.
• Thrombotic stroke: Where a blood clot blocks an artery in the brain.
• Embolic stroke: A blood clot forms elsewhere in the body and travels to the brain.
• Hemorrhagic stroke: When a blood vessel starts to leak or burst, causing bleeding in or around the brain.
• Transient ischemic attack (TIA): A mini-stroke or temporary blockage of blood to the brain.
• Stroke with unknown cause (cryptogenic): Our doctors will work to determine whether your stroke is caused by a blocked artery or a bleeding artery so they can start the right treatment as soon as possible.

Types of other cerebrovascular conditions that cause stroke-like symptoms include:

• Aphasia: The loss of speech.
• Basilar artery thrombosis: A blockage in the brain’s basil artery system.
• Carotid disease: Where plaque builds up and causes blockages in the arteries in your neck.

Didn’t see your condition listed here? See more stroke and cerebrovascular conditions.

Risk factors for stroke you can’t control include:

• Age: The risk of having a stroke doubles every 10 years after age 55.
• Gender: Women are more likely to have strokes than men and are more likely to die after having a stroke.
• Personal or family history of stroke: Genetic factors may contribute to your risk of stroke.
• Personal history of heart attack.
• Race: Black people are twice as likely as White people to have a stroke. Hispanic people and Native Americans are also more likely to have a stroke than White people.

Medications to reduce your risk of stroke may include blood thinners, which help lower the blood’s ability to form clots, or medications to reduce your blood pressure. There are also devices that help filter blood clots from the left (arterial) side of the heart and lower the risk that any clots will travel to the brain and cause a stroke.

Stroke treatment

We offer a variety of stroke treatments, from breaking up blood clots to surgical removal of clots. We also offer the latest minimally invasive procedures to shorten recovery time from a stroke. Our swift and efficient stroke and post-stroke care procedures follow guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association. Faster responses to stroke can minimize its impact and offer you the best chance for recovery.

Surgical treatments for strokes

Surgical procedures to treat stroke or reduce the risk of stroke may include:

• Thrombectomy: A thrombectomy is the most common type of stroke procedure. During a thrombectomy, a surgeon makes an incision into a blood vessel in order to remove a blood clot. They might also insert a balloon to help keep the blood vessel open. Next, they repair the blood vessel so blood flow is restored.
• Angioplasty and stenting: Your surgeon will insert a balloon into a clogged artery and inflate it to widen the space inside. Then, a stent (an expandable tube) is placed in the space to keep the artery propped open.
• Carotid endarterectomy: Your surgeon will remove the blockage that has caused or may cause a stroke.
• Cerebral bypass surgery (ECA/MCA/STA bypass surgery): First, your doctor will remove a blood vessel from another part of your body. Then they will drill a small hole in your skull and surgically connect the new vessel in your brain so blood can flow around the clogged artery, bypassing it entirely.

Other treatment options for stroke

• Tissue plasminogen activator: Injected into the bloodstream to break up a clot until blood can flow past it. This treatment is used only for ischemic strokes and must be used within three to four hours of the stroke.
• Thrombolysis: A catheter is inserted through the femoral artery to the site of a clot. Then, a clot-busting drug is administered directly to it.
• Embolectomy: This treatment uses a catheter inserted through your groin and moved to the site of a clot. Wire coils are sent through the catheter and into the clot, grabbing it so it can be removed.

Stroke recovery

Recovering from a stroke is a deeply individual process and there are a lot of factors that determine your recovery timeline. Depending on the severity of the stroke, recovery can take weeks, months or even years. Stroke rehabilitation often starts within a day or two after the stroke and can include working with a speech, physical or occupational therapist to restore movement and coordination skills, speech and re-learning daily activities like eating, drinking and dressing.

Your stroke care team will work with you to create a comprehensive, individualized recovery plan.

What technologies help monitor stroke patients and their recovery?

After a stroke, most patients will need to be monitored for future stroke events. Most commonly, this takes the form of wearable devices but can also include advanced monitoring devices like robotics and telehealth platforms. Some of the more common devices include:

• Smartwatches: Apple Watch and Fitbit are great at tracking vital signs, monitoring irregular heart activity and can even alert emergency services if you fall.
• ECG monitors: These devices help detect atrial fibrillation (irregular heart activity), which is a common risk factor for future strokes.
• Automated pill dispensers: These help patients take their medication as prescribed. They also send reminders and alerts to patients and caregivers.
• Wearable blood pressure monitors: Maintaining a healthy blood pressure is key to preventing future stoke events. These devices help you monitor your blood pressure and can alert you if your blood pressure is too high.

Depending on your situation, you might use one or all of these devices. Your stroke care team will work with you to determine which device is best for you.

Stroke care at Aurora Health

Along with our primary stroke centers, the comprehensive stroke center at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center offers dedicated care 24/7, including:

• A stroke treatment team made up of experts, including neurologists and neurosurgeons; rehabilitation therapists; occupational, speech and physical therapists; and doctors and nurses
• State-of-the-art testing to identify the source of a stroke quickly and accurately
• Neurosurgical treatment to repair brain damage caused by stroke symptoms
• Neuroendovascular services and advanced therapies

Our standards of care are designed to help save your life. They include written protocols for emergency care for stroke patients, special training for emergency department staff to accurately diagnose and treat stroke, and dedicated stroke units staffed by doctors and nurses who are experienced in caring for stroke patients.

Are you at risk for a stroke?

Most strokes are preventable, and many of the risk factors are controllable. Our stroke risk quiz will help you estimate your chances of experiencing one, find ways to minimize your risk and give you an idea of what to do next based on your results.

Take the stroke quiz