Stroke Care

If you think you or a loved one might be having a stroke, call 9-1-1 or visit the ER immediately. In a stroke, minutes matter.

Don’t delay care

Prompt care saves lives and Adventist Health Selma is ready to put you on the road to recovery with a FAST assessment and a step-by-step care plan when you go home.

Is it a stroke?

Some of our specific stroke services include caring for:

• Ischemic stroke: Results from an obstruction in a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain
• Transient ischemic attack (TIA, or "mini-stroke"): A temporary blockage in a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain, usually lasting only a few minutes; a TIA can be a warning sign of a stroke.

Symptoms

Strokes happen quickly and require a FAST response, so get familiar with the following signs of a stroke.

• Sudden weakness of the face, arms or legs, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden trouble walking, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Use the acronym “F.A.S.T.” to remember the warning signs of a stroke:

Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?

Time: If you observe any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Care in the hospital and at home

What happens in the ER

At the Adventist Health Selma ER, our team is ready to move quickly with an immediate assessment and a step-by-step care plan if your loved one shows signs of a stroke.

We work to quickly stabilize the patient to avoid or minimize the damaging effects of a stroke. Using telemedicine, our ER staff can consult with a neurologist through a webcam 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. Through technology, neurologists observe and interact with patients to make medical recommendations for the best possible outcomes. Starting the appropriate treatment immediately in the ER can minimize the devastating effects of a stroke.

Rehabilitation at home

Once home, there are things you can do to speed recovery, and that includes:

• Understanding your personalized care plan
• Taking medications as prescribed
• Being kind to yourself and consistent in your follow through

Prevention

Manage your health proactively. If you’re diabetic, monitor your sugar intake. If you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure, work with your doctor to manage your medications. If you need to become more active, or reduce stress, take small steps daily to achieve your goals.

Your family and your doctor want you to be healthy, and so do we!