Stroke diagnosis, treatment, prevention and recovery
A stroke is an expression of diseased brain blood vessels. Sometimes a blood vessel is occluded (“ischemic stroke”), and at others blood escapes from a weakened blood vessel (“hemorrhagic stroke”.) The brain’s function is affected. The effect can be temporary or permanent. If permanent – it may be mild, moderate or severe, and may result in death. Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the industrialized nations and ranks high among the causes of death (4-5th in the USA). It is imperative to try to avoid having a stroke in the first place, but it you have had a stroke, you need to do everything you can to avoid another one, which may be worse, and to maximize your physical, cognitive and mental recovery from the effects of the stroke you experienced.
Dr. Armon has been taking care of patients with stroke for over 30 years. He was one of the early adopters of the “clot-busting” medication TPA after it was approved for use in the USA in 1996, and has served since 2003 as the leader of health systems providing advanced stroke care. Dr. Armon has subspecialty certification in Vascular Neurology from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
Dr. Armon will perform an assessment of in risk factors for individuals who have not experienced a stroke, or who have experienced a stroke and wish to minimize their chances of a recurrence.
In individuals who have experienced a stroke, have completed a course of rehabilitation and feel they have not completely recovered – Dr. Armon may assist in understanding the residual difficulties and suggest additional therapeutic approaches.
You will be given individualized recommendations and a plan for follow up.
Selected article:
Effect of the 2013 AHA/ASA guidelines on TPA use in acute ischemic stroke at Assaf Harofeh Medical Center in Israel
Kimiagar I, Kalmanovich-Avnery S, Gonen OM, Sacagiu Z, Shevtzov E, Levite R, Weinstein J, Bartal A, Aroesty R, Bhonkar S, Tal S, Leonov Y, Blatt A, Haitov Z, Bar-Hayim S, Armon C.J Neurol Sci. 2016;369:306-309.
Frequently Asked Questions
A stroke results from a sudden impairment in the function of the brain as a result of interference with its blood supply. The impairment may be temporary or permanent. If it resolves within 24 hours it is called a TIA (“transient ischemic attack.”) If the impairment does not resolve completely within up to 24 hours the condition is called a “stroke.” Its consequences may be mild, moderate or severe, and it may even result in death. A stroke may be caused by a blood vessel becoming occluded (“ischemic stroke”), or by the leakage of blood from a weakened blood vessel (“hemorrhagic stroke”.)
A stroke can present with sudden onset of weakness, affecting the face, arm or leg, speech changes, loss of vision or imbalance. A stroke can be associated with altered sensation and may cause sudden changes to thinking, memory, comprehension of language and orientation. It is a life-altering event.
Stroke has many known risk factors: smoking, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, diabetes, high blood lipids, and obesity. Drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana (including designer drugs) and excessive alcohol can all lead to a stroke.
Dr. Armon can perform an individualized assessment of risk factors for individuals who have not experienced a stroke, and in those who have had a stroke review the management of their risk factors, to minimize the chances of a recurrence.
If your recovery from the effects of a stroke is not completer, Dr. Armon can assess your residual difficulties and provide individualized recommendations for additional treatments.
Sometimes cognitive or memory difficulties develop as part of a stroke or come to light shortly thereafter. Dr. Armon will be able to assess these difficulties, looking for additional cause, and provide individualized recommendations.
A TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack) is the result of temporary cessation of blood supply to part of the brain, which does not leave permanent deficits. The symptoms of a TIA are identical to those of a stroke: altered speech, impairment in use of an arm or leg, crooked face, loss of vision, or imbalance. The symptoms must resolve in 24 hours for the terms “TIA” to be applied.
A TIA is a warning that a more permanent stroke may occur, that the same process that resulted in temporary impairment of function may act again to result in permanent impairment.
It is therefore imperative to go to the emergency room to be evaluated, because one cannot tell if the impairment will be temporary, or when it might recur.
If you have been discharged following an evaluation for a TIA, Dr. Armon will be able to assess if all appropriate etiologies for your condition have been looked for, in order to address the root causes of the problem and minimize the chances for a recurrence.
An intracerebral bleed (hemorrhage) is the consequence of the leakage of blood from the blood vessels serving the brain into the brain tissue or into the spaces surrounding the brain. An intracerebral bleed can be fatal or disabling, but there are situations where complete recovery is attained, depending of the cause, the size and the location of the bleed.
If you experienced a cerebral hemorrhage, it is important to understand what caused the bleed, to decrease the likelihood of a recurrence.
Dr. Armon can perform an individualized assessment to see if all possible causes for your bleed have been evaluated and addressed, to minimize the chances of a recurrence.
If your recovery from the effects of a cerebral bleed is not completer, Dr. Armon can assess your residual difficulties and provide individualized recommendations for additional treatments.
Sometimes cognitive or memory difficulties develop as part of a cerebral bleed or come to light shortly thereafter. Dr. Armon will be able to assess these difficulties, looking for additional cause, and provide individualized recommendations.
Stroke has many known risk factors: smoking, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, diabetes, high blood lipids, and obesity. Drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana (including designer drugs) and excessive alcohol can all lead to a stroke. It is possible to decrease the risk of a stroke, sometimes avoiding one completely, by removing and managing the risk factors appropriately.
Dr. Armon can perform an individualized assessment of risk factors for individuals who have not experienced a stroke, and in those who have had a stroke review the management of their risk factors, to minimize the chances of a recurrence. This type of assessment is particularly important for individuals with genetically-related family members who have experienced a stroke or heart attack.
Stroke has many known risk factors: smoking, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, diabetes, high blood lipids, and obesity. Drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana (including designer drugs) and excessive alcohol can all lead to a stroke. It is possible to decrease the risk of a recurrence of a stroke, sometimes avoiding another one completely, by removing and managing the risk factors appropriately.
Dr. Armon can perform an individualized assessment of risk factors for individuals who have had a stroke and review the management of their risk factors, to minimize the chances of a recurrence.