Preventing a stroke: doctor advises taking one baby aspirin daily

Can you prevent one of the United States' leading causes of death by taking an aspirin every day? At the June 24 Nevada Regional Medical Center Lunch and Learn, Dr. Sean Gravely spoke about stroke awareness and recommended this treatment for Stroke prevention.

"You should take one enteric-coated aspirin everyday to help prevent a stroke, if not contraindicated," Gravely said. "A coated baby aspirin has the proper dosage needed for prevention."

Gravely spoke to a classroom of 20 students about the various types of strokes, the risk factors that lead to a stroke, and varieties of ways to prevent one from occurring.

"Over 700,000 strokes occur in the United States every year; it is the third leading cause of death. However, many of the risk factors that lead to having a stroke can be prevented," Gravely stated.

Some of the risk factors that can lead to a stroke are: Smoking Illicit drug use (especially crystal meth and cocaine) High blood pressure History of aneurysm High Cholesterol Obesity Lack of exercise Diabetes Dr. Gravely went on to teach about the signs that a stroke is occurring.

He shared an easy acronym to help the class remember the message; FAST: Face -- sudden weakness of the face, doubled, blurred, or decreased vision; Arm -- sudden weakness or numbness in one or both arms; Speech -- slurred /garbled speech, difficulty speaking Time -- sooner treatment begins, the better chance for recovery "If you recognize any of these symptoms in yourself or a loved one, you need to get to the hospital immediately. With certain types of strokes, timing is the key for treatment to work," Gravely said. So, what can you do to help prevent a stroke from occurring? "In many cases, the patient's chosen lifestyle contributes to the causes of having a stroke. Great physical health is the best thing you can do and encourage others to do to save their lives," Gravely advised. "You should stop smoking, do not use drugs, exercise and eat right. And, take that baby aspirin every day." To learn more about stroke and ways to prevent it, visit the National Stroke Association Web site, www.stroke.org.

Nevada Regional Medical Center holds a regular series of Lunch & Learn health topics with their physicians and other expert care providers. The event dates are published in the NRMC Caring Connection newsletter, the NRMC Community Calendar and are advertised in the Nevada Daily Mail and on KNEM/KNMO radio. For more information on upcoming events, you can contact the NRMC Community Education department at (417) 448-3622.