Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
5APRIL2013BODYOFCHRISTNEWSBelovedIwishaboveallthingsthatthoumayestprosperandbeinhealthevenasthysoulprospereth.3John2Havingastrokecanmeanlossoflifeorpermanentdisability.Therearesomewhohavestrokesandarefortunateenoughtohavelittleinthewayofresiduallong-termproblems.Alltoooftenphysiciansencounterapatientwhoisparalyzedononesideofthebodywithimpairedvisionspeechswallowingandabilitytocareforoneself.Frequentlybythetimeweseeapersonwhohashadastrokethedamageisalreadydoneandtheremaynotbemuchthatwillchangethings.Believemeitmaybeapain-fulexperiencetobeaphysicianforastrokevictimandyoumaybethinkingthatyouwouldliketodoallinyourpowertopreventfamiliesandindividu-alsfromgoingthroughthepotentiallytragicexperienceofastroke.BecauseofthisIwouldliketomakeapleaandsaypleasedonthaveastrokeIwouldliketomentionsomekeyobservationsandfactsandfiguresaboutstroke.Strokeisthefourthlead-ingcauseofdeathintheUnitedStatestoday.About795000Americanshaveaneworrecurrentstrokeannuallyandstrokesmaykill128000people.Strokeisaleadingcauseoflong-termdisabilityandthisdisabilitycanoccurinanindividualwhomayberelativelyyoung.Itisimportanttopointoutthatabout80ofstrokescouldhavebeenpreventedbychangesinlifestylehabitsandtakingcareofsomechronicconditionssuchasdiabetesandhighbloodpressure.Strokeisaconditionthataffectsthearteriesleadingtoandwithinthebrain.Astrokeoccurswhenabloodvesselthatcarriesoxygenandnutri-entstothebrainisblockedbyabloodclotorwhenabloodvesselbursts.Asaresultbecauseaportionofthebrainisnotabletoreceivethebloodandoxygenitneedsbraintissuestartstodie.Theresultofthismaybeasuddenlossoffunctionofapartofthebodycontrolledbytheaffectedpartofthebrain.Theremaybeablockedbloodvesseloractualbleedinginthebrainwithbloodspillingintobraintissue.TheremayalsobesomethingcalledawarningstrokecalledaTIAtransientischemicattackinwhichsymptomslikeastrokeoccurbutresolveinafewminutes.ThismeansatemporaryinterruptioninbloodflowtoaportionofthebrainbutwhenthisTIAendsthesymptomsdisappearwithnoper-manentfindings.Itisinfactawarningthatrequirestakingactiontopreventafull-blownstroke.IwanttotellyousomethingsyoucandotopreventhavingastrokeasIdonoteverwanttoseeanyonewiththiscondition.Firstofallifyourdoctortellsyouthatyouneedtoquitsmoking--justquitThisabsolutelydoesnotmeancuttingdownasyouwillstillbeatrisk.Knowyourbloodpressurereadinganddowhatyoucantokeepitatleastlessthan14090andachieveanum-beryourdoctorispleasedwith.Ifyouhavediabeteshaveitundercontrolandworkwithyourhealthcareproviderevenifyoufeelperfectlywell.Makesureyouknowwhatyourcholes-terolreadingsareandgetthetestingyouneedtohaveitundercontrol.Keepyourbodyweightwhereitshouldbe.Donoteverbesedentaryandmakeadecisionthatyouaregoingtobephysicallyactivebydoingsomeactiv-itysuchaswalking30minutesdaily.Becarefulwithalcoholuseandmorethanonedrinkadayforwomenandtwoformenmayraisebloodpressureandbeariskfactorforstroke.Ithasbeenobservedthatsomeillegaldrugsmaycausestrokesuchascocaineandbecauseofthispeoplewhoaresurpris-inglyyoungmayhaveastrokewhenusingsuchdrugs.Itisagoodideatodiscusswithyourhealthcareprovideratsomepointintimeyourriskfactorsforhavingastrokeorheartattackbutbewillingtodowhatyouareadvisedtodotodimin-ishyourchanceofhavingastrokeorheartattack.Theremaybesomeotherconditionsthatneedattentionsuchasaheartrhythmirregularityatrialfibrillationandotherheartissuesandarterydiseasecausingblockagesorpar-tialblockagesofarteriesintheneck.TheremaybeacutesymptomsofastrokesuchasthefollowingnSuddennumbnessofthefacearmorlegespeciallyononesideofthebodynSuddenconfusiontroublespeak-ingorunderstandingthingssaidtoapersonnSuddentroubleseeinginoneorbotheyesnSuddentroublewalkingsuddendizzinesslossofbalanceorcoordina-tionnSuddensevereheadachewithnoknowncauseWhatshouldyoudoiftheaboveacutesymptomshappentoyouorsomeoneyouarewithorknowCALL911immediatelyUrgentmedicalattentionmayallowcertainthingstobedonetominimizetheimpactofastrokeandjustfindoutwhattheproblemis.AsalwaysIhopethatwhatiswrit-tenheremayhelpyoutolivelongerandbetterbyGodsgrace.HEALTHDontHaveaStrokeDr.ConnerByByronE.ConnerM.D.IfyourdoctortellsyouthatyouneedtoquitsmokingjustquitThisabsolutelydoesnotmeancuttingdown.