Stroke was once viewed unpreventable and untreatable. People therefore, did not treat stroke with the urgency that we now believe is needed. As such, stroke is now being referred to as a "brain attack." The belief is that if brain attacks are treated with the same urgency as heart attacks, the mortality rate will begin to decline.

A brain attack is similar to a heart attack in that a small clot forms in one of the many blood vessels in the brain. Once occluded, the area of the brain beyond the clot will begin to die. The immediate area of the clot begins dying within minutes due to the lack of oxygenated blood. We are now aware of an occurrence called the "ischemic cascade" in which the area surrounding the clot will begin to die due to diminished blood flow. Because of this, the window of opportunity for treatment after a stroke occurs is about 6 hours.

The location of the clot and the time to seek treatment will indicate the effects of the stroke. The most common disabilities from stroke are paralysis, decreased vision or blindness, difficulty or the inability to speak or death. Your brain is designed with a crossover in the middle part of the brain. An attack which occurs on the right side of the brain will affect the left side of the patient's body.

It is believed that the reason people do not seek treatment for stroke during the window of opportunity or prior to the attack is that the symptoms of stroke are not widely known or understood. Some feel the symptoms they are experiencing are associated with other factors, such as age, lack of nutrition or poor sleeping habits. Common symptoms of brain attack are:

Some brain attacks manifest in the form of an aneurysm or intracranial bleed. In this case a blood vessel in the brain actually bursts and continually pumps blood into the brain space with each heart beat. These patients will deteriorate rapidly due to the increasing pressure being placed on the brain. Often times, an aneurysm is a fatal event.

Another form of brain attack is much less serious and actually very common. These "transient ischemic attacks", or TIA's, manifest initially like a stroke, but the patient recovers very quickly and is left with no long-term disabilities. Patient's may feel numbness or tingling, difficulty speaking, vision changes or dizzy spells. TIA's are often caused by blockages in the carotid arteries, which are the blood supply for the brain.

First, always perform the ABC's. Then, notify EMS to get help on the way. You may place the patient in the recovery position to protect their airway. Always lay the patient on the affected side of their body. When available, oxygen is an excellent adjunct to treatment.

Some of the main causes of stroke are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, age and sedentary lifestyle. Medical advances yield the ability to take CAT scans and MIZI's of the patient's brain to locate the exact position of the brain attack. Medications and possibly surgery are the treatments of choice for these brain attacks, provided the patient seeks medical help early enough.