HOUSTON -
It is the number 4 cause of death in the United States, but many people do not know the warning signs and the impact of a stroke until its too late.
A stroke is essentially the lack of blood flow to a particular area to the brain.
The stroke can be caused by two main reasons. Either you may have a clot that may go up to the blood vessel and produce a blockage of blood flow, or you could have a rupture of the blood vessel that could create some hemorrhage and could cause bleeding.
Houston has some of the best hospitals in stroke acute care and rehabilitation. St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital is a primary stroke certified facility and rehabilitation center.
"Our doctors and nurses are trained to recognize and treat stroke patients," said Dr. Jose Suarez, who is the Director of Strokes and Critical Care at St. Luke's Hospital.
According to the American Stroke Association you can lose up to 2 million brain cells every minute during a stroke.
"It is very critical to get the patient into the emergency room as soon as possible," Suarez said. "The first hour is very very critical."
John Gilmore, a program director at Houston Community College, was in good physical health when he was hit with a massive stroke to the right side of his brain.
"Tuesday night I came home, got ready for bed, and woke up just like any other day of the week," said the 65 year old. "When I tried to get out of bed, that is when I realized something was wrong. My whole left side wasn't working, but my right side was still functioning. So I dialed for help, and that's when I realized I couldn't talk."
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