Page 10 - Go Red For Women 2017

What is a silent stroke? The importance of
W hen working at
optimal capac-
ity, the brain is
a wonder to
behold. When illness or
trauma affects the brain,
various parts of the body
may not work as they
should.
One of the more devas-
tating things that can affect
the brain is stroke. Stroke
describes a sudden stop-
page of blood from reac-
hing the brain. Harvard
Medical School states that
if a large number of brain
cells are starved of blood
supply, the cells can die,
which could impact a per-
son’s memory and ability
to speak and move.
There is one particular
type of stroke — a “silent
stroke” — symptoms are
SUNDAY, APRIL 23, 2017 far more subtle and difficult
to spot.
Silent cerebral infarc-
tion, often referred to as
“SCI” or “silent stroke,” is
a brain injury likely caused
by a blood clot interrupting
blood flow to the brain,
according to the American
Stroke Association. Silent
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION OF THE MORNING CALL strokes increase risk for
other strokes and can be a
sign of progressive brain
damage.
Minh Nguyen, M.D., a
cardiologist with Coor-
dinated Health, said this
type of stroke is called
“silent” because it is so
small that it does not cause
appreciable symptoms or
so light that one may not
think much of it. For exam-
ple, it could be as subtle as
a transient numbing sensa-
tion or a brief uncoordinat-
ed action that is mistaken
for being “normal” or “no
big deal.”
Silent strokes should not
be mistaken for mini-
strokes. A mini-stroke is a
10 brief but discrete and mem-
orable event, with symp-
Stroke can impact anyone at any age.
toms appearing for a few
minutes or a few hours.
“Discuss with your
doctor and specifically say
that you are concerned
about the possibility of
silent stroke,” said Dr.
Nguyen. “If same, even
mild, symptoms recur
within a short time, seek
immediate medical atten-
tion.”
There are some ways to
safeguard against a stroke,
including good lifestyle
habits such as diet and
exercise; also avoid to-
bacco products and exoge-
nous hormone supple-
ments.
“In general, risk factors
for stroke are nearly the
same as atherosclerosis
ones,” Nguyen said. “Most
common predisposing
factors are age, high BP
(which is often asymptom-
atic), high blood sugar
(diabetes), tobacco use,
obesity and sleep apnea. In
addition, atrial fibrillation
— upper chambers losing
their pumping/squeezing
ability — greatly increases
risk of stroke by causing
blood stasis, thus blood clot vent obesity
formation. Atrial fibrilla-
tion can be intermittent
(“paroxysmal”). All the
Metro Creative Connection detect serious illnesses
above mentioned risk fac-
tors also increase risk of
having atrial fibrillation.”
Strokes can afflict any-
one, at any age.
“Silent strokes tend to
recur. Up to a quarter of
strokes in people 70 and
older are silent. However,
strokes can happen to
younger people as well,” he
said. “Silent strokes expose
the victim to larger, more
serious strokes and are
often diagnosed inciden-
tally. Even if one has not
experienced a large stroke,
multiple silent, small ones
increase dementia risk as
well.”
To reduce the risk of any
type of stroke, try adding
healthy habits to your life-
style. These include:
? managing high blood
pressure and high choles-
terol levels
? quitting smoking
? reducing the risk of
diabetes and effectively
treating the condition if it is
present
? losing weight to pre-
? exercising and avoid-
ing a sedentary lifestyle
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tion contributed to this
report.
annual health exams
A nnual health exams
are a key compo-
nent of maintain-
ing a healthy life-
style.
A person may not see the
need to visit the doctor if he
or she is feeling well, but
not every disease or condi-
tion manifests itself in a
way that people can detect.
An annual health exam
is the first tool for doctors to
help them identify people
who may need follow up
care or more tests, says
Dwithiya K. Thomas, M.D.,
a cardiologist with St.
Luke’s University Health
Network.
In fact, nearly one-third
of the 133 million Ameri-
cans living with a chronic
disease are unaware of the
presence of their conditions.
Routine physical exams can
before they do much dam-
age.
“It’s one of those screen-
ing tools that can help iden-
tify people who may need
to have more of a work up
to catch things early,” she
said. “It’s the best way to be
able to prevent heart dis-
ease.”
No two physical exams
will be exactly alike, but
many will share some gen-
eral features.
Health history
A crucial element of a
physical exam will include
a thorough health history if
the physician doesn’t al-
ready have one on file. The
doctor will take time to ask
questions about family
history of illness, health
habits, any vices (smoking,
drinking alcohol, etc.),
exercise schedule, and diet.
Thomas said some wom-
en may be more comfort-
able talking about their
health with a female doctor.
“There’s a certain type of
connection that is made in
conversation,” she said,
adding that she can empa-
thize with women patients
because as women, they
have similar experiences,
roles and stressors.
Current ailments
After discussing a pa-
tient’s history, the doctor
may ask if they are having
any problems they cannot
explain. These can include
changes in eating or sleep-
ing patterns; aches and
pains; lumps or bumps and
other abnormalities.
Vital signs
A doctor will check a
patient’s vital signs during
the physical. Areas the
doctor will look at include
but are not limited to:
? Heart rate: This
measures the speed at
which the heart is pumping.
Normal resting heart rate
values range from 60 to 100
beats per minute.
? Blood pressure: A
blood pressure cuff (sphyg-
momanometer) will mea-
sure systolic and diastolic
pressure. Systolic pressure
measures the force with
which the blood is pushing
through the arteries. The
diastolic blood pressure is
the pressure in the arteries
between beats, when the
heart rests. The systolic (top tion contributed to this
number) should be below
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120, while the bottom
should be less than 80,
according to the Mayo
Clinic.
? Respiration rate: The
doctor will measure the
number of breaths taken in
a minute. Between 12 and
16 breaths per minute is
normal for a healthy adult.
Breathing more than 20
times per minute can sug-
gest heart or lung problems.
? Pulse oximetry: Pulse
oximetry is a test used to
measure the oxygen level
(oxygen saturation) of the
blood. Normal pulse oxime-
ter readings usually range
from 95 to 100 percent.
Values under 90 percent are
considered low.
Physical exam
The examination will
also include physical com-
ponents. The doctor will
perform a visual inspection
of the skin and body for any
abnormalities, such as the
presence of skin cancer.
Comprehensive testing
In addition to the exam
at the office, the physical
may include an electrocar-
diogram, or EKG, to check
electrical activity of the
heart; blood count and
cholesterol checks through
bloodwork; body mass
index testing; X-rays or
MRIs and bone-density
tests.
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report.