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We all strive to live a healthy life, but sometimes we need a health
partner to help along the way. That’s why PeaceHealth has created
Healthy You
– a program just for you that offers helpful resources,
information and tools to support you on your wellness journey.
Sign up for your
Healthy You
eNewsletter today!
www.peacehealth.org/healthy-you
We all strive to live a healthy life, but sometimes we need a health
partner to help along the way. That’s why PeaceHealt has created
Healthy You
– a program just for you that offers helpful resources,
information and tools to support you on your wellness journey.
Sign up for your
Healthy You
eNewsletter today!
w.peacehealth.org/health -you
March is
Colorectal Cancer
Awareness Month
Find cancer early, when
it is easier to treat
According to the American Cancer
Society, colon cancer testing should
begin at age 50 or younger. Talk to
your doctor about when colon cancer
screening is right for you.
S T ROKE S YMP TOMS
come on fast and
demand fast action. But what should you
do if those symptoms fade away as quickly
as they occur?
Every year, some 240,000 people in the
U.S. could ask that question. According
to PeaceHealth neurologists, that’s how
many people have transient ischemic
attacks (TIAs)—episodes that often warn
of future strokes. How people respond to
those warnings could mean the difference
between long, healthy lives and long-term
disability—or even death.
ALWAYS AN EMERGENCY
TIAs and strokes are alike in that
both involve blocked blood flow to
the brain, often because of a clot. The
difference is duration.
A TIA may last only a few minutes
before the body breaks up the clot, restores
the brain’s blood supply, and prevents
serious injury to the brain.
With a stroke, blood flow is interrupted
for much longer. Without a steady supply of
blood, brain cells become damaged or die.
The problem is that there’s no way to
immediately know whether it’s a stroke or
a TIA that is taking place, because their
symptoms are exactly the same. Both come
on suddenly and include:
■■■
Numbness or weakness of the face, arm,
or leg—especially on one side of the body.
■■■
Confusion.
■■■
Trouble speaking or understanding
speech.
■■■
Trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
■■■
Trouble walking. This may include
dizziness or loss of balance or coordination.
■■■
Severe headache with no known cause.
And, since fast treatment is the best way
to limit a stroke’s impact, it’s dangerous
to take a wait-and-see approach and hope
that symptoms resolve themselves. It is
important to act fast and call
911
.
Another reason: A TIA can signal
that a full-blown stroke is just waiting
to happen. In fact, up to 40 percent of
people who have a TIA go on to have such
a stroke—often within the first 48 hours.
Getting treatment after a TIA can reduce
that risk.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
Treatment for a TIA often includes lifestyle
changes, such as eating a healthy diet, getting
regular exercise, and quitting smoking.
Medicinemay also be needed to control blood
pressure; cholesterol; and any underlying
health problems, such as diabetes or
heart trouble. Some providers may
recommend that you take aspirin or
other drugs to limit blood clots,
say PeaceHealth neurologists.
Sources: American Stroke Association;
National Institutes of Health;
National Stroke Association;
UpToDate.com
All strokes require
big action
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To learn more about strokes
and stroke prevention, visit
www.peacehealth.org/
healthy-you
.
If you have these
symptoms,
act fast and
call 911.
Need a provider? Visit
www.peacehealth.org/rightcare .