Stroke Care
At Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa, we have an Emergency Department that is equipped to care for a Stroke Emergency. We are staffed with licensed physicians and nurses 24 hours a day.
A stroke is acute death of brain tissue, and it is a neurologic emergency. A stroke can cause permanent loss of function of the central nervous system (brain). If the symptoms of a stroke end without complications in 24 hours, it is diagnosed as a transient ischemic attack (TIA). If the symptoms are not resolved within 24 hours, it is defined as a stroke.
Each year in the US, there are more than 700,000 strokes. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the country. And stroke causes more serious long-term disabilities than any other disease.
National Stroke Association’s Stroke Prevention Guidelines:
- Know your blood pressure. If it is high, work with your doctor to lower it.
- Find out if you have atrial fibrillation ( an irregular heart rhythm ) If you do, work with your doctor to manage it.
- If you smoke, stop.
- If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation.
- Know your cholesterol number. If it is high, work with your doctor to control it.
- If you are diabetic, follow your doctor’s advice carefully to get your blood sugar level under control.
- Include exercise in your daily routine.
- Enjoy a lower sodium ( salt ), lower fat diet.
- Ask your doctor if you have circulation ( blood flow ) problems which increase your stroke risk. If so, work with your doctor to control them.
- If you have any stroke symptoms or see them in someone else, call 911.
Stroke Symptoms
- Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause
