Someone in the United States experiences a stroke every 40 seconds. This serious episode temporarily cuts off the brain’s blood supply and can lead to long-term damage. You need the expert response and quality ongoing care offered by the team at Cardiac Center of Texas led by board-certified physicians Muhammad Khan, MD, and Ambreen Ashfaque, MD. Book an appointment at their office in McKinney, Texas, online or by phone now.

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What happens in a stroke?

During a stroke, your brain is deprived of the blood it needs. You may suffer two types of stroke:

Ischemic stroke

This is the most frequent type of stroke. During the incident, one of your blood vessels or arteries that deliver blood to your brain gets blocked by a blood clot.

Hemorrhagic stroke

In this type of stroke, a burst blood vessel inside your brain affects function. The blood vessel leaks blood into your brain to cause damage.

What are the symptoms of stroke?

A stroke is a serious medical emergency and requires immediate attention. Stroke symptoms can include:

  • Numbness on one side of your body
  • Weakness on one side of your body
  • Confusion or disorientation
  • Balance and coordination problems
  • Facial droop on one side
  • Difficulty in talking or in processing the speech of others
  • Severe headache

If you are experiencing these symptoms or you notice someone experiencing them, take action right away. Every second is important when it comes to strokes.

How are strokes treated?

When you act quickly, the doctors may be able to administer a powerful clot-dissolving medication called tPA.

This medication is used to treat ischemic stroke sufferers. In most cases, it’s effective only within three hours of the stroke.

In the case of a stroke, an endovascular treatment known as mechanical thrombectomy can effectively extract the trapped blood clot. This procedure must happen within six hours of the stroke and follow tPA treatment.

The doctors treat hemorrhagic strokes with endovascular treatment that uses a catheter to place a rupture-prevention coil in the brain. They may also recommend surgery to prevent further hemorrhage. They may insert a clip at the bottom of an aneurysm.

How do I prevent strokes?

Strokes may be prevented with quality professional medical support and a healthy lifestyle. At Cardiac Center of Texas, the doctors recommend you stop smoking, eat a healthy diet, and get regular exercise to proactively reduce your blood pressure and overall risk of stroke.

Certain medications, such as anticoagulants or blood pressure medications, can also help you avoid a stroke. A medical procedure, such as carotid artery surgery or an angioplasty may be recommended if you have plaque accumulating in your arteries that could lead to a blood clot and subsequent stroke.

To learn more about stroke prevention and care, use this website to schedule with Cardiac Center of Texas or call the office today.