Guidepost:

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Here are a few brief notes about strokes.

In most industrialize countries, strokes are the third leading cause of death. The most likely candidates for having a stroke are people with a family or personal history of stroke, African Americans, smokers, diabetics, men, the elderly, and women smokers on oral contraceptives.

Overuse of pain killers can increase your chances of stroke, so can alcohol consumption, especially if you already have high blood pressure and / or smoke.

Improper mixing of medication increases your risk, so here are some steps you can take to decrease your chances of suffering from stroke:

1. Use the same pharmacist, and remember, herbs are natural medication, so find a pharmacist who is knowledgeable about herbs. Ask about the effects of taking your medication and the herbs together, or of taking one herb with another.

2. If you are going to an qualified alternative medicine specialist, it is important to inform them of all the medications you are on. You should also inform your physician what your alternative medical practitioner has prescribed for you. (Some herbs and medicines are lethal together, others taken together may cause damaging long-term effects.)

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According to the American Heart Association, here are some of the signs of a stroke:

• impaired judgement
• a sudden change in personality
• a sudden change in mental abilities
• paralysis or any other symptoms that occur on only one side of the body
• sudden weakness, numbness, or tingling (usually on one side) of the face, arm and leg
• sudden change in vision (particularly in one eye), such as dimmed vision, double
  vision, or a flash of blindness
• a sudden difficulty with speech, such as the inability to speak, garbled speech, trouble
  talking, or trouble understanding speech
• unexplained or unusually severe headaches or dizziness, especially if associated with
  other neurological or mental signs

If you or someone you know experiences any of these symptoms, call your physician, or seek medical help immediately.

If treated immediately, much of the damage can now be reversed.

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The month following a stroke is critical, as 38% of sufferers die within 30 days of having the stroke.

50% of those who survive that 30 days, however, are still living seven years later, according to the American Heart Association.

The after effects of stroke can be a difficult adjustment for the sufferer and their families.

Here are some of the things you may find if you, or someone you know, has suffered a stroke:

Their speech may be slurred or garbled. There could be paralyzation or weakness down one side of the body. The sufferer may have difficulty using or remembering names and words. There may be memory loss, or a loss of perception, difficulty walking or maneuvering, difficulty using one hand.

There are many other changes you may notice. Make note of them and discuss them with the doctor.

Allow yourself, or that loved one, some time to recover. Things may not be the same as they were, but they can improve significantly over time, with the right changes in lifestyle. Discuss these necessary changes with your physician, also.

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For more information, click on" Foundations, Associations, and Societies" in the right column. There you'll find a link to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada.

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Note: All information on this site is from reliable and varied sources. It is for reference use only, and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or qualified health-care professional. Nor is it intended for self-diagnosis. If these symptoms seem familiar to you, check with your doctor or qualified health provider. I am neither a doctor nor a qualified health-care professional.

To view my sources, check the BIBLIOGRAPHY.

If you would like information on something you don't see here , let me know, and I'll see what I can find out.