A stroke is a medical emergency that occurs when blood stops flowing to your brain or a blood vessel in your brain bursts. Without blood bringing needed oxygen into your brain, cells there can begin to die within minutes.

Time is critical if you are having a stroke. That's why Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center in Las Vegas has a stroke response team that can quickly assess your condition and begin the treatment you need. Desert Springs Hospital is dedicated to providing effective, evidenced-based practice for all patients experiencing a stroke or stroke-type symptoms.

Treatments are available that can help minimize the damage caused by stroke, but you need to get treatment as quickly as possible. Learn to recognize the signs of possible stroke, and call 9-1-1 right away if you recognize those signs in yourself or someone around you.

What You Should Know About Strokes

There are two types of stroke:

• Ischemic strokes are most common and occur when an artery is blocked and blood flow to the brain stops, preventing adequate levels of oxygen from reaching the brain cells.
• Hemorrhagic strokes are caused when arteries rupture and leak blood into or around the brain. An aneurysm may also burst and cause bleeding in the brain.

Signs of Possible Stroke:

• Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, or trouble walking
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause
• Sudden double vision or trouble seeing in one or both eyes

There are more than 700,000 strokes in the USA every year, and stroke is the third leading cause of death in this country. Nearly three-fourths of all strokes occur in people over the age of 65, and the risk of having a stroke doubles each decade after age 55. While stroke is more prevalent among people age 65 and older, it can occur at any age.

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If you experience any signs of
possible stroke, call 9-1-1 right away.

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