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Recognizing when a headache might be more than just a headache - it could be a stroke

May is National Stroke Awareness Month and having a stroke is a lot more common than most people think. Nearly 1 in 6 people will have a stroke in their lifetime. Sponsored by Overlake Medical Center.
A thrombectomy can happen as much as 24 hours after stroke symptoms.

SEATTLE — Strokes are one of the leading causes of disability. According to Doctor Abhineet Chowdhary from Overlake Medical Center's Neuroscience Institute, about 1 in 6 people will have a stroke in their lifetime, and every year more than 795,000 people have strokes in the United States, according to the CDC.

“The cost to society is huge,” said Dr. Chowdhary. “When you have a stroke, it affects you for the rest of your life.”

When it comes to differences in genders, strokes tend to kill women more often than men because they tend to ignore the symptoms, like a severe headache.

“You can imagine how often you’ve had a bad headache and you just go sleep it off,” said Dr. Chowdhary. “[But] it’s different than your typical headache, and I think that’s the distinction people forgot to make. They just think it’s another headache and they don’t really think deeper and say ‘This is a different headache than I’ve ever had.’”

In order to remember the signs to watch for, follow the acronym FAST:

F – Face. Is your smile drooping when you try to smile?

A – Arms. Hold your arms out and watch for one to droop or inability to hold it up.

S – Speech. Stumbling over words or difficulty speaking due to lack of tongue movement.

T – Time. Get immediate medical attention if a stroke is suspected. Call an ambulance.

If you’re able to get to the ER within three to four-and-a-half hours, Dr. Chowdhary says there is an IV medication that can help break the clot up.

“Traditionally, people think ‘Well, I’ve had the stroke, there’s nothing that can be done.’ But that’s actually not true,” said Dr. Chowdhary.

If the IV doesn’t work, Dr. Chowdhary goes in an artery in the leg with something similar to a stint for a heart, and can grab the blood clot and pull it out.

The procedure, known as a thrombectomy, can happen as much as 24 hours after stroke symptoms, so it can save many more people.

A thrombectomy can happen as much as 24 hours after stroke symptoms.

Prevention is always the most important step in fighting strokes, though: living a healthy lifestyle, avoiding nicotine products (which are one of the leading causes of strokes), knowing your family’s health history and risk factors, and recognizing mini-strokes when they happen.

“You don’t know if it’s going to turn into a full stroke,” said Dr. Chowdhary. “And if you have one of those, you’re about 10 times more likely to have an actual stroke.”

Dr. Chowdhary recommends going to the ER, regardless if it is short-lived because then medication like baby aspirin can be used for prevention.

This segment is sponsored by Overlake Medical CenterWatch New Day Northwest 11:00 weekdays on KING-TV Ch.5 or streaming live on KING5.com. Connect with New Day via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

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