A new study has diagnosed the reason behind several stroke victim not seeking timely medical treatment – they simple don’t realize that they're having a stroke and as a result don't seek treatment. This only further aggravates their condition.
In the study, the researchers studied 400 patients who were diagnosed at Mayo Clinic's emergency department with acute ischemic stroke or a transient ischemic attack ie TIA, a temporary interruption of blood flow to part of the brain.It was found that only 42 percent of the patients thought they were having a stroke. And when symptoms appeared, majority of the participants did not go to the emergency room. The median time from onset of symptoms to arrival at the hospital was over three and a half hours.
Most of the patients said they were thinking that the symptoms would simply go away. The delay in seeking medical help was the same among men and women.
On being asked how they knew about stroke symptoms, almost one-fifth said they thought a stroke always came on gradually. Only 51.9 percent of the patients said they thought that seeking medical care immediately was important.
"Time is crucial in treating stroke. Each individual's medical background differs and affects recovery, but in general the sooner a patient experiencing a stroke reaches emergency care, the more likely the stroke can be limited and the condition managed to prevent further damage and improve recovery," said Latha Stead, M.D., emergency medicine specialist and lead author of the study.
According to the researchers, the findings clearly project that better public understanding of stroke symptoms will lead to a faster response and better outcomes.
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What's interesting is that only 20.8 percent of the participants knew about such treatment. By use of stents, medications and other technology, physicians can stop a stroke from spreading and greatly limit damage, reports the British Medical Journal.
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In such cases, a stroke gives no warning. But one possible sign of an impending stroke is a TIA.
The signs and symptoms of TIA are the same as for a stroke, but they last for a shorter period - several minutes to a few hours - and then disappear, without leaving apparent permanent effects. You may have more than one TIA, and the signs and symptoms may be similar or different. A TIA indicates a serious risk that a full-blown stroke may follow.
Source-ANI
TAN/L