Aspirus | Aspire | Winter 2019

aspirus.org 11 EASY LISTENING ONLINE Hear Aspirus nurse practitioner Shannon Handler discuss good sleep habits at aspirus.org/ sleeppodcast . Aspirus hospitals are stroke-ready Stroke is the No. 5 leading cause of death in the United States and is a leading cause of serious, long-termdisability. A stroke needs immediate medical attention. Aspirus Riverview Hospital has earned Advanced Certification as an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital by The Joint Commission. The certification recognizes hospitals equipped to treat stroke patients with timely, evidence-based care prior to transferring them to a primary or comprehensive stroke center. Aspirus Wausau Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Checkmark for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. A primary stroke center has all the resources and processes to care for acute stroke patients. What you can do to control three major risk factors IN THE NEXT 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. will have a stroke. But chances are that stroke—which might be deadly or cause a severe and lasting disability—didn’t have to happen. That’s because strokes are largely preventable with lifestyle changes and other safeguards that decrease your stroke risk. Deb Mojumder, MD, PhD, neurologist and system stroke director for Aspirus, said one can’t control every risk factor that heightens the chance of a stroke, such as a family history of stroke or simply growing older. However, one can control some factors. Here are three major risk factors you can control, along with proven ways to do so. Deb Mojumder, MD, PhD ENHANCE YOUR creativity. & DEPRESSION LOWER YOUR ANXIETY. RISK OF Make you MORE ALERT AND HEIGHTEN SKILLS. YOUR decision- making Be stroke-smart KNOWLEDGE ISPOWER Go online to aspirus.org/stroke to learn more about stroke and its signs and risk factors. ATHEROSCLEROSIS. This buildup of plaque in your arteries—especially the carotid arteries in your neck—can bring on a stroke. Take charge: Some of the same steps that keep blood pressure in a healthy range can also help keep plaque from clogging your arteries. Among them: sticking to a well-balanced, reduced-sodium diet; maintaining a healthy weight; and being more physically active. Take charge: High blood pressure rarely causes symptoms. So get yours checked regularly. And if it’s high, work with your doctor to bring it down to a healthy level. Eating a well-balanced, salt- smart diet and getting regular exercise are two major factors in controlling high blood pressure. Take charge: Many people with AFib have no noticeable symptoms. But you might notice a racing, fluttering or irregular heartbeat, or you may be short of breath or feel light-headed. If so, tell your doctor. If he or she does diagnose AFib, you may need anticoagulant medicine or other treatments to reduce your stroke risk. HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. This is the leading cause of all strokes—most people who have a first stroke have blood pressure that is too high. ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (AFIB). This irregular heartbeat significantly raises your stroke risk. If you have it, you’re five times more likely to have a stroke than someone without it. 2 3 1