Medical alerts afford you the ability to summon help when beset with an emergent health problem. A stroke, or cerebral vascular accident, is a medical emergency that requires prompt intervention.
A stroke is simply an interruption of the blood flow within the brain tissue. It may be caused by a clot that has formed in conjunction with plaque build-up within a blood vessel or may also be a result of a blood vessel rupturing within the brain.
A blood clot that has formed within a blood vessel may be treated with a drug designed to dissolve the clot, but must be administered within strict timelines to prevent further damage. The only accurate way to differentiate between a stroke caused by a clot within a blood vessel or by bleeding from a blood vessel is with a C.T. scan. This confirmation is necessary before the administration of a thrombolytic medication to the patient. Having one of the many types of medical alerts in your home can provide life-saving minutes when you need them most.
The symptoms of a stroke may be variable. A stroke may be preceded by a headache described as the worst they have ever had or by vision loss. Onset is typically sudden and evolves over a period of time. Often there may be mouth droop on the affected side, especially noticeable when the patient attempts to smile. The patients’ speech may be garbled and they may be unable to form the desired words or speak in sentences. Their motor function is frequently impaired on one side of the body or may manifest itself solely as weakness. It is imperative to determine the precise time of onset, allowing the physician to formulate a treatment plan. Medical alerts function superbly in an emergency.
All ages are susceptible to suffering strokes, even infants. Some individuals are born with a congenital malformation that predisposes them to having strokes later in life. These weakened areas are similar in structure to an inner tube that is bulging in one spot. This area may eventually rupture and cause catastrophic bleeding within the brain. The amount of damage and resultant disability is dependent on the area of disruption within the brain and length of time that the brain is deprived of its’ critical blood and oxygen supply. Should a major vessel be occluded by a stroke, a larger area of the brain will be affected and the cellular damage sustained will be more extensive. Medical alerts can enable assistance to arrive quickly, minimizing damage. If the bleeding is minimal, physicians may elect to administer medications designed to shrink the brain slightly by dehydration, allowing more room within the cranial vault for an expanding clot and allow the body to absorb the blood. Alternatively, emergency treatment may consist of clamping off the bleeding vessel, evacuating the blood that has formed a clot leaking into the tissues of the brain or drilling holes to relieve the pressure on the brain.
Early intervention is critical in the treatment of a stroke and urgent transportation is recommended, and a medical alert can play a key role in obtaining a medical response.
Today, modern medicine continues to make strides with early diagnosis, evaluating and treating strokes, improving outcomes and giving patients a much better prognosis. Medical alerts give you an added measure of protection in a medical emergency.