Take Action when a Stroke Strikes

August 31st, 2008 by admin

When it comes to your health, strokes are serious business. Even if the symptoms of a stroke are minor, they can turn serious and cause significant long-term problems or even death. That’s why it’s so important to know what a stroke is, how to spot it, and what you can do to prevent strokes or help someone who is having one.

While there are various types of stroke, including heat stroke and ischemic or mini strokes, they are all caused by similar problems. A blockage in the brain blocks blood flow to a certain area and causes that part of the brain to be deprived of oxygen. If the area goes too long without blood flow, there can be permanent damage or even death.

It’s impossible to act when you’re having a stroke if you don’t know you’re having one. It’s therefore important to know the signs and symptoms of a stroke so you can act quickly.

Ignoring serious symptoms is probably the worst thing you can do. The most common indicators of a stroke are:

* Sudden severe headache without cause
* Numbness or weakness
* Dizziness or trouble standing up
* Vision trouble with one or both eyes
* Trouble speaking or understanding speech

The most important thing you can do if you think you or someone else is having any of these symptoms is to seek medical attention. There are new medical advances that can greatly increase the chances of surviving and recovering from a stroke. However, these medicines are only effective if they are given within about three hours of the start of symptoms. The faster you get to a doctor, the better off you are. Once the damage has been done, there is much less medical professionals can do to help.

Whether the person having the stroke is you, a loved one, or even a stranger, its onset can be a very stressful thing. When a stroke strikes, you need to remain calm. If you panic, you will often delay any action and therefore delay any treatment. You can also stress the patient and worsen the situation. Take a deep breath, call 911, and wait calmly until the ambulance crew arrives. When they do, remain calm and let them do their work without interfering.

If you’ve had a stroke, you’ll need to take measures to prevent another one. While some risk factors can’t be controlled (like age and race), there are others that can. Most of the actions you can take to prevent stroke are the same as for prevention of a heart attack and include:

* Eating a healthier diet rich in fiber and nutrients
* Taking steps to lower cholesterol and blood pressure
* Quitting or limiting smoking and alcohol consumption
* Reducing weight
* Relieving stress
* Getting plenty of exercise

These small steps can not only prevent a second stroke, they can also prevent stroke if you’ve never had one.

Posted in Healthy Heart and Heart Disease, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Is It a Stroke?

August 31st, 2008 by admin

Stroke is the third most common cause of death in the United States. It is also one of the top causes of disability. Yet far fewer people can recognize the signs of a stroke than the signs of a heart attack.

What Is a Stroke?

A stroke is the interruption of blood flow to the brain. It cuts off oxygen and nutrients that the brain needs to function, causing brain cells to die. There are two common types of stroke:

* Ischemic stroke - This is the most common type of stroke. It is caused by a blood clot in a vessel or artery in the brain.

* Hemorrhagic stroke - This type accounts for about 20% of strokes. It is caused by a broken blood vessel in the brain.

A stroke can leave its victim paralyzed, and it can cause mental and emotional problems. It can also impair speech and cause pain after the immediate danger is over. And if medical treatment is not obtained quickly, it can result in death.

Warning Signs

Knowing the warning signs of a stroke could save your life, or the life of someone close to you. If you have these symptoms, or you are around someone else who does, immediate medical attention is imperative:

* Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arms or legs - This typically occurs on only one side of the body, but it could be on both sides

* Confusion or trouble speaking or understanding others

* Suddenly impaired vision, in one or both eyes

* Dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, or trouble walking

* A sudden, severe, and inexplicable headache

All of these symptoms usually occur suddenly. They may also be accompanied in some cases by nausea or vomiting, stiff neck, seizure or unconsciousness. Symptoms also tend to get progressively worse, but in some cases they might seem to go away.

Every Minute Counts

When a person is having a stroke, time is of the essence. Getting medical attention as quickly as possible can greatly reduce their risk of death or disability. They should see a doctor within 1 hour in order to be evaluated and get treatment started.

Ischemic stroke patients can receive clot-dissolving drugs, but they must be administered within 3 hours of the onset of the stroke. Hemorrhagic strokes are more complicated to treat, but getting the patient to the hospital quickly can greatly increase his chances of survival and reduce the incidence of disability.

Risk Factors

Some people are more likely to have a stroke than others. Some of the risk factors include:

* High blood pressure
* Heart problems
* Tobacco use
* Diabetes
* High cholesterol

Quitting smoking and keeping health problems under control can greatly reduce the likelihood of stroke. But it is still important to know the warning signs. Getting medical attention right away is crucial to a stroke patient’s health.

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Contact Dermatitis Treatments

August 31st, 2008 by The Alternate Medic
by The Alternate Medic

Before doing anything you should visit your doctor to find out if infact you are suffering from dermatitis and what kind of dermatitis it is such as atopic, contact allergy or contact irritant dermatitis. In this article we will deal with treatments for contact dermatitis.

When it comes to taking care of our skin, we only do whatever we can that is within our power to make it appear and feel supple, smooth, and silky that is why we buy lotions, creams, and even especially formulated soaps just to make sure that we get the kind of result that we desire. However, when you come to think of it, there are some things which are way beyond our control that no matter how hard we try to take care of our skin, certain skin conditions like contact dermatitis would erupt and leave our skin itchy, dry, scaly, and red among its other symptoms.

But do not weep; there are different kinds of cures that are available when it comes to treatments for contact dermatitis that could help you deal with and manage it. Here are some of the most popular treatments for contact dermatitis that you can consider once you have learned that you are affected by it.

These Popular Treatments Are:

One of the most popular treatments for contact dermatitis are emollients or especially formulated moisturizers to add moisture or help your skin retain some moisture to the affected area. Oftentimes, these emollients and creams are used to correct dryness and scaling of the skin as well as correcting fine lines and wrinkles. There are different kinds of emollients or creams that are formulated to help your skin heal from contact dermatitis that you could buy from drug stores like Cortisone.

Skin lubricants are another popular treatment for contact dermatitis which could help your skin feel smooth, slippery, and extra silky that when you come to think of it, you would think that it may bring you discomfort. But then, lubricants like Vaseline could help alleviate the symptoms of dryness, itchiness, scaling, and other symptoms that you may have for having contact dermatitis.

What Is The Best Treatment

When it comes to the treatments of contact dermatitis, it is not enough that you get to be familiar about the popular treatments that you could put on your skin but also, it would greatly help if you would avoid certain things that could trigger the skin irritation. Avoiding detergents which could be very harmful for your skin, avoiding different kinds of harmful chemicals, and keeping away from hot water would greatly help when it comes to managing contact dermatitis.

Above all, it would be best that you would contact your doctor to know about the different kinds of treatments for contact dermatitis and have the best cure for you. Aside from that, what you could do is discuss with your doctor what are your long term goals and different kinds of treatment plans.

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