Stroke

Our nine certified Advanced Primary Stroke Center locations in North Texas are staffed by specially trained medical teams. When you need advanced stroke diagnostics and sophisticated treatment, our expert neurologists and stroke specialists are here for you.

Remember to B.E. F.A.S.T.:

• Balance - Is the person suddenly having trouble with balance or coordination? 
• Eyes - Is the person experiencing suddenly blurred or double vision? Or loss of vision in one or both eyes without pain?
• Face - When the person smiles, does one side of the face droop?
• Arms - Does one arm drift downward when both arms are raised?
• Speech - Is the person's speech slurred when asked to repeat a simple sentence?
• Time - Call 911 immediately if the person shows any of these symptoms, especially if they are accompanied by a highly severe headache, dizziness, loss of balance and/or loss of vision.

A stroke can occur when a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain either becomes blocked or ruptures. The two types of stroke are known as:

Ischemic stroke occurs when a blood vessel supplying the brain becomes blocked by a blood clot or particle, such as a piece of plaque. This leads to insufficient blood flow to the brain, lack of oxygen and, ultimately, permanent death of brain cells. There are various causes of ischemic stroke, including atherosclerosis (narrowed vessels due to hardening of the artery), heart disease and blood clotting disorders.

Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel ruptures and blood spills into the brain and its surrounding structures. Hypertension is the most common reason for this type of stroke. Aneurysms and other vascular malformations may also cause hemorrhagic stroke. Patients with hemorrhagic stroke are often evaluated by neurosurgeons, though most patients do not require surgery.

You can't control all of your risk factors for stroke—such as age, gender and family history—but you can identify your manageable risk factors and take steps to control, treat and improve them. Manageable risk factors include:

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Family history of stroke
• Obesity
• Previous strokes/transient ischemic attacks
• Atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter
• Sickle cell anemia
• Congestive heart failure
• Coronary artery disease

A specific combination of risk factors can lead to the increased chance of having a stroke. This is known as metabolic syndrome and occurs when you have three or more of the following conditions:

• High blood pressure (130/85 mm Hg or greater)
• Excess weight around the waist (greater than 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women)
• Triglyceride level at 150 mg/dl for men or below 50 mg/dl for women
• HDL cholesterol level below 40 mg/dl for men or below 50 mg/dl for women
• Elevated blood sugar or diabetes

The conditions above are all treatable. Therefore, it is important to talk to your healthcare provider about your specific risk.

With multigenerational homes becoming more prevalent in America today, so does the need to educate all ages about stroke signs and symptoms. Our "Be a Stroke Hero" puppet show teaches children the signs of stroke and what to do if a loved one is experiencing one.