MU Health Care neurosurgeon says quick action is critical after stroke
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
May is National Stroke Awareness Month, and one MU Health Care neurosurgeon said Monday that it's important people act quickly if someone is having a stroke.
Dr. Balint Otvos said strokes are the fourth-leading cause of death in Missouri. He said people should remember the acronym "BE FAST" to recognize the signs of a stroke and get help immediately.
- B: Balance loss
- E: Eyesight problems
- F: Face drooping
- A: Arm weakness
- S: speech difficulty
- T: Time to call 911
"The problem with strokes isn't even necessarily that they are uniformly fatal because they're not," Otvos said. "The problem is people have very, very high rates of morbidity if their strokes are left untreated, meaning they no longer can move one side of their body, they no longer can speak."
Otvos said if people receive help as soon as they show symptoms, there are more options for therapy and more lower-risk therapies available.
"We always say time is brain," Otvos said. "We can't reverse if there's already a permanent injury to a part of the brain or some neurons."
After a stroke, Otvos said doctors treat the blood vessels and work on therapy and stroke prevention. He said there is usually a two-year timeframe in which people can still receive the benefits of recovery.
The best preventative measure for strokes is to have regular visits with a primary care doctor, according to Otvos.
The risk of a stroke increases as people age. Otvos recommends people over the age of 60 take a baby aspirin as a preventative measure, unless they have an active risk of bleeding or falls.
He said 80% of strokes occur due to blood clots that reduce blood flow to the brain, while the other 20% are from bleeding into the brain.
