Strokes affect four out of five American families. Seniors are especially susceptible to strokes.
"Well, there's two types of strokes - there's hemorrhagic strokes where you get blood into your brain and there's ischemic strokes which are sort of like a heart attack of the brain. That's where the term brain attack comes from,” said Dr. Thomas Forney from Castle Medical Center.
During a stroke, a patient can lose up to two million brain cells a minute.
That's why immediate intervention is necessary.
It's important for a stroke victim or those nearby recognize stroke symptoms.
"Accute onset of confusion, slurred speech, difficulty talking, focal weakness on one arm or one leg, those are the main things that we look for,” said Dr. Forney.
There are some factors you can't control when it comes to preventing a stroke.
Males over the age of 55 are the most likely candidates.
Polynesians and African-Americans are probably more likely to suffer strokes.
In any event, it is vitally important to get to an emergency room as soon as possible.
"Another quote is ‘time is brain.’ So the sooner you get in to see us, hopefully, if you're the proper candidate, we can reverse that for you,” said Dr. Forney.
Having the effects of a stroke reversed is a medical miracle but preventing a stroke can be a medical practicality.
"For example, if somebody's smoking, it is a great idea to stop smoking because that is a great risk factor for stroke. If somebody is drinking excessively, that would be a good reason to stop drinking,” said Dr. Kore Liow of Castle Medical Center.
And Dr. Liow has more good advice - not merely for preventing a stroke, but for all of us.
"Exercise is great for preventing stroke. Thirty minutes a day of regular exercise every day will prevent stroke,” said Dr. Liow.
