Therapy with drugs that can break up a clot has to be given within 4.5 hours from when symptoms first started if given intravenously. The sooner these drugs are given, the better. Quick treatment not only improves your chances of survival but also may reduce complications.
Early treatment for ischemic stroke (clot)
It must be given as soon as possible, ideally within 4½ hours after stroke symptoms started. A clot-busting drug can reduce the severity of the stroke and reverse some stroke effects.
First Few Weeks After a Stroke. The typical length of a hospital stay after a stroke is five to seven days. During this time, the stroke care team will evaluate the effects of the stroke, which will determine the rehabilitation plan.
If you're having symptoms of a stroke, you need to get medical care immediately.”
In fact, ischemic strokes unfold over a period of 10 hours. That means that with every second you wait for treatment, the brain damage gets worse. If a stroke is untreated for the full 10 hours, the brain ages up to 36 years! With every minute you wait, the brain loses two million brain cells.
The result may be neurological, cognitive and physical disability or death. The longer the blockage, the greater the damage. That's why it's critical to get medical help as quickly as possible when signs and symptoms appear, Shafie says.
Quick Stroke Treatment Can Save Lives
Immediate treatment may minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death.
In both cases, it is critical that the victim receives rapid medical attention. “The initial symptoms of stroke and TIA are indistinguishable. If you suspect that you or someone that you know is having a stroke or TIA, go to the hospital immediately, even if the symptoms are minor,” Streib said.
Remember that a stroke is always a medical emergency. The longer it takes to get treatment, the more likely there will be stroke-related brain damage afterwards. Watch this video to help you identify the most common signs of stroke. FAST: Face-Arms-Speech-Time.
The first three days are of utmost importance for the recovery and survival rate of the stroke patient, since they can determine if the patient will have lifelong disabilities or leave the hospital and continue to be a productive part of the community.
Even after surviving a stroke, you're not out of the woods, since having one makes it a lot more likely that you'll have another. In fact, of the 795,000 Americans who will have a first stroke this year, 23 percent will suffer a second stroke.
A mild stroke can be an indicator that a more serious stroke is on its way. Compared to the general population, people who have suffered a mild stroke are five times more likely to have an ischemic stroke in the next two years. Patients who have experienced a mild stroke should follow up with their doctor regularly.
Hospitals reexamine treatment protocols after studies show patients can benefit up to 24 hours after stroke symptoms begin.
The reason the first hour is golden is because stroke patients have a much greater chance of surviving and avoiding long-term brain damage if they arrive at the hospital and receive treatment with a clot-busting drug called TPA within that first hour.
During a follow-up period averaging 7.4 years, 246 of the participants experienced a stroke. People who sat for 13 or more hours per day during the initial week of motion tracking were 44% more likely to have a stroke compared with those who'd spent less than 11 hours per day sitting still.
When people use the term "ministroke," they're referring to a transient ischemic attack (TIA). A TIA is a brief blockage of blood flow to part of the brain, spinal cord or the thin layer of tissue at the back of the eye known as the retina. This blockage may cause temporary stroke-like symptoms.
The main symptoms of a TIA can be remembered with the word FAST: Face – the face may have dropped on 1 side, the person may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eye may have dropped. Arms – the person may not be able to lift both arms and keep them raised because of weakness or numbness in 1 arm.
Strokes are a medical emergency and urgent treatment is essential. If you think that you or someone else is having a stroke, phone 999 immediately for an ambulance.
Thrombolysis – "clot buster" medicine
This use of "clot-busting" medicine is known as thrombolysis. Alteplase is most effective if started as soon as possible after the stroke occurs – and certainly within 4.5 hours.
Time is critical because a stroke starves brain tissue of life-giving oxygen, causing it to start to die in as little as four minutes after the beginning of a stroke. When brain tissue dies, it is gone forever.
Seek treatment immediately. The main takeaway is that a mini stroke, no matter how quickly it seems to resolve, is a medical emergency. If you have experienced mini stroke symptoms, your brain was starved of oxygen for a period of time and was not functioning properly when that happened.
Some people will experience symptoms such as headache, numbness or tingling several days before they have a serious stroke. One study found that 43% of stroke patients experienced mini-stroke symptoms up to a week before they had a major stroke.
An MRI can also detect old strokes for decades after they happen. The fastest type of MRI is diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). It measures shifts in fluid in the brain and can detect a stroke soon after its onset. An MRI can also detect evidence of past strokes.
Call 911 or emergency medical services if your blood pressure is 180/120 mm Hg or greater and you have chest pain, shortness of breath, or symptoms of stroke. Stroke symptoms include numbness or tingling, trouble speaking, or changes in vision.