Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke, according to the National Stroke Association. In recognition of May as National Stroke Awareness Month, Emory Healthcare encourages everyone to learn the signs, symptoms and risk factors for stroke.
In a new video, Dr. Daniel Barrow, Chief of Neurosurgery at Emory University Hospital, describes the two broad categories of stroke: ischemic (brain deprived of blood flow) and hemorrhagic (bleeding in the brain).
Hemorrhagic strokes tend to present with a sudden, unmistakeable onset, such as a powerful headache. On the other hand, ischemic strokes present a number of transient symptoms beforehand, including numbness or weakness on one side of the body, loss of vision in one eye, problems speaking, or unsteadiness. Many people don’t know the symptoms of ischemic stroke and wait too long to seek emergency care, then are faced with a much more severe, more permanent stroke in the future.
Related Video
How Emory gets patients back in the game after stroke