Fast Stroke Intervention is Key to Preventing Long-Term Disability

The lack of oxygen kills brain cells and can cause a loss of reasoning and speech skills, and arm or leg movement among other symptoms. The severity of these symptoms, and how long they last, depends on how long the blood supply is reduced or interrupted.

To better understand what causes a stroke, Washington DC VA Medical Center’s Stroke Coordinator, Durga Muppala, RN, explained how strokes are classified.

“There are two types of strokes. An ischemic stroke, which occurs when something blocks the blood supply to part of the brain, and a hemorrhagic stroke, which occurs when blood vessels in the brain burst,” said Muppala. “In both instances, immediate medical treatment is vital to prevent permanent brain damage, disability or death.”

In addition to ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, a transient ischemic attack (TIA), or a mini stoke, is a temporary period of symptoms that are like a stroke, but typically last only a few minutes or up to 24 hours before going away. Although the symptoms aren’t permanent, a TIA can be a warning sign of a more serious oncoming stroke. In fact, 15 percent of full-blown strokes happen within days or weeks of a TIA.

Muppala said Veterans who think they are having, or may have had any symptoms of stroke, should get to a hospital within three hours of when their symptoms started.

“With immediate intervention, we can potentially reverse disabilities caused by the stroke before they become permanent,” said Muppala. “But we need to see them within three hours for the best results. Unfortunately, more than half of our patients just stay home because they don’t fully realize what has happened,” she said.

A stroke can present a variety of symptoms that range from severe headaches to drooping facial features. Muppala’ s mission is to educate Veterans on the signs of a stroke, so they recognize when to seek help. She uses the B.E.-F.A.S.T. method, which teaches Veterans to watch for sudden onset of the following symptoms: 

BALANCE: Loss of balance

EYES: Loss of vision in one or both eyes

FACE: Facial drooping

ARMS: Weakness in one or both arms or legs

SPEECH: Slurred speech

TIME: Time to call 911. This step is critical as soon as any of the above symptoms are observed

Weakness in the arm or face muscles and difficulty with speech are the most common symptoms of a stroke but other signs include dizziness, loss of vision and headaches. Many of these symptoms are easy to ignore so Veterans may not seek care for them. That is a big mistake according to Muppala, because it can be a precursor to a much more severe stroke on the horizon.

“Even if there are no lasting symptoms present, it increases the risk of another, more serious stroke in your future,” she said. “Talk to your doctor about your symptoms so we can target the issue and work to reduce your risks.”

Another part of Muppala’ s role as the Stoke Coordinator is to educate Veterans about stroke prevention. High blood pressure is the number one cause of stroke and Veterans with hypertension are three-times more likely to have a stroke. Muppala advises them to talk to their VA providers about their risk factors and consider using the following tips to reduce their chances of having a stroke:

• Eating healthier
• Losing weight
• Reducing stress
• Exercising
• Reducing alcohol and tobacco consumption
• Improving sleep health
• Taking medicines as prescribed
• Maintain regular checkups with your VA provider

Making lifestyle changes can be difficult, even when your health is at stake, but Muppala wants to remind Veterans that they don’t have to do it alone.

“Building a support system of family, friends and health care providers is the biggest step. Together we can come up with a plan to manage your risk factors that you can stick to,” she said. “Please, learn the signs, seek help if you see them, and talk to your doctor about stroke prevention now.”