STRIKE OUT STROKE Quick Action Can Keep Damage at Bay

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1 BetterSafe WELCOA S ONLINE BULLETIN FOR YOUR FAMILY S SAFETY STRIKE OUT STROKE Quick Action Can Keep Damage at Bay It can happen any time and any place. A stroke can come on suddenly, and its effects can be devastating. Stroke ranks as the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. It s one of the most common causes of adult disability. The good news is that you can halt the brain damage caused by a stroke if you act quickly. That s why it s important to know the warning signs of stroke, and to get help right away if you see them. A stroke occurs when normal blood flow to the brain fails, usually because of a blocked blood vessel. If blood can t bring nutrients and oxygen to brain cells, they stop functioning and then die. Stroke can be very disabling. It can rob you of your very essence, because the brain makes us who we are, says Dr. Walter Koroshetz, deputy director of NIH s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Researchers have made great strides in improving the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of stroke. Today, with prompt treatment, many people who ve had a stroke end up with few disabilities, or none at all. It s important to know that you can do something about it, Koroshetz says. You can dramatically reduce your risk for stroke by adopting a healthy lifestyle. That means exercising, having a healthy weight, keeping your blood pressure in check and not smoking. There are 2 main types of stroke. About 4 in 5 strokes arise when blood vessels are blocked, usually by a blood clot. These are called ischemic strokes. The other type, called hemorrhagic stroke is caused by a broken or leaking blood vessel in the brain. The treatments for each type are almost exactly opposite, Koroshetz says. WELCOA.ORG 1 of 2

2 BetterSafe Signs of ischemic stroke include sudden weakness on one side of your body and trouble talking, walking, seeing or thinking. Over the years, scientists have been able to reveal that brain damage from blood clots can be halted if patients are treated with a clot-busting drug within a few hours after symptoms begin. The drug, called tissue plasminogen activator (tpa), was the first proven treatment for stroke. Unfortunately, only about 2% of people with ischemic stroke actually get treated with tpa because they don t get help quickly enough. When tpa is given more than 3 or 4 hours after stroke symptoms begin, it can actually cause more damage. That s why it s important to act fast when you see the warning signs, Koroshetz says. SIGNS OF STROKE If you see or have one or more of these symptoms, call 911 right away:» Sudden numbness or weakness of the 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 or loss of balance or coordination» Sudden severe headache with no known cause These warning signs must be checked out right away, says Koroshetz. If not treated quickly, ministrokes, also known as transient ischemic attacks, increase your chances of having a major stroke within a few hours or days. Hemorrhagic strokes are caused by bleeding in the brain and are less common than ischemic strokes. A common symptom in some types of hemorrhagic stroke is a very sudden and extremely painful headache. Emergency surgery may be needed to repair a ruptured blood vessel. Because stroke attacks the brain, a person who s having a stroke may not be able to call 911. The stroke victim s best chance is if someone nearby recognizes the signs and seeks medical help. Immediate treatment could save someone s life and improve the chance for successful recovery. WELCOA.ORG 2 of 2

3 DayInDayOut WELCOA S ONLINE BULLETIN FOR YOUR LIFESTYLE STRUGGLING TO SLEEP? Don t Let Apnea Steal Your Sweet Dreams Most people who have sleep apnea don t realize it. That s because this disorder only occurs during sleep. Sleep apnea is when you have pauses in breathing while you re asleep. These pauses can last from seconds to minutes. You may have difficulty breathing a few times or dozens of times an hour. These breathing pauses can be dangerous if they cause the oxygen level in your body to drop or disturb your sleep. When oxygen drops, your brain does whatever it can to get you to resume breathing. And then you may snore, gasp, snort loudly, or make a choking sound. A family member or bed partner might be the first to notice these disruptions in your sleep. Sleep apnea is a common disorder. Anyone can develop it. Sleep apnea can occur in both genders, in all races and ethnicities, and in people of all sizes and shapes, says Dr. Michael Twery, a sleep expert at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The most common type of sleep apnea is called obstructive sleep apnea. Any air that squeezes past a blocked airway can cause loud snoring. When you re awake, the muscles in your throat help keep your airway stiff and open. In adults, the throat muscles and tongue can relax during sleep, or fat tissue in the neck can narrow your airway to cause an obstruction. In children, the airway may become blocked if their tonsils are so large they obstruct the airway opening. The other type of sleep apnea is central sleep apnea. In central sleep apnea, the brain doesn t send the correct signals to your breathing muscles, so you stop breathing for brief periods. So how can you tell whether you may have this disorder? One of the most common symptoms is excessive daytime sleepiness. Anyone who feels so tired on a regular basis that this is a drag on their daytime function that even if they allow enough time to get enough sleep on a regular basis and they still feel this way then they need to discuss it with their doctor, Twery says. WELCOA.ORG 1 of 2

4 DayInDayOut Another common symptom is loud, frequent snoring. But not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. Other symptoms of sleep apnea may include feeling irritable or depressed, or having mood swings. You may have memory problems or trouble concentrating. Or, you may wake up with a headache or a dry mouth. Your doctor can diagnose sleep apnea based on your symptoms, a physical exam, and a sleep study. For a sleep study, your doctor may send you to a sleep lab or provide a portable sleep monitor. Sleep studies record things like heart rate and oxygen level while you sleep. A sleep study can show whether apnea is mild or severe. The largest proportion of the population with sleep apnea has mild sleep apnea, Twery explains. Mild may or may not be associated with any daytime symptoms. People who are so sleepy that they re at risk of a drowsy driving accident are probably in the moderate to severe range. Doctors may prescribe breathing devices that pump air or mouthpieces that adjust the lower jaw or hold the tongue. Other treatments are available and may be considered with advice from a physician familiar with your health. Everyone deserves a good night s sleep. For self-care tips for breathing better while you re sleeping, see the Wise Choices box. If you feel extremely sleepy during the daytime or your bed partner says that you stop breathing when you re asleep, go talk with your doctor. BREATHE EASY! Try these tips for improving your breathing when you re asleep: Avoid alcohol before bedtime and don t take medicines that make you sleepy. They make it harder for your throat to stay open when you re asleep. Maintain a healthy weight. Extra fat in the walls of your throat can make it narrower. Sleep on your side instead of your back. This helps keep your throat open. Ask your physician about medicines. Some medications can help open your nasal passages. WELCOA.ORG 2 of 2

5 TakeCharge W E L C O A S S E L F - C A R E B U L L E T I N HOW YOUR EATING HABITS AFFECT YOUR HEALTH A new study shows how the things you eat can influence your risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, or type 2 diabetes. The findings suggest ways to change your eating habits to improve your health. Experts already know that a healthy eating plan includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products. A healthy diet also includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts. It limits saturated and trans fats, sodium, and added sugars. Scientists analyzed how these 10 dietary factors affect your risk of death from heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. These are known as cardiometabolic diseases. The team relied on data from the CDC s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and national mortality data. THE RESULTS The scientists found that risk of death from the 3 diseases was higher for those who consumed too much sodium, processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, and unprocessed red meat. Risk of death was also higher among those who didn t eat enough nuts and seeds, seafood omega-3 fats, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, or polyunsaturated fats. According to the analysis, nearly half (45%) of deaths in 2012 from the 3 diseases was associated with too much or too little of these 10 dietary factors. This study establishes the number of cardiometabolic deaths that can be linked to Americans eating habits, and the number is large, explains Dr. David Goff, a heart disease and public health expert at NIH. Second, it shows how recent reductions in those deaths relate to improvements in diet, and this relationship is strong. There is much work to be done in preventing heart disease, but we also know that better dietary habits can improve our health quickly, and we can act on that knowledge by making and building on small changes that add up over time. WELCOA.ORG 1 of 2

6 TakeCharge A HEALTHY EATING PLAN A healthy eating plan gives your body the nutrients it needs every day while staying within your daily calorie goal for weight loss. A healthy eating plan also will lower your risk for heart disease and other health conditions. A healthy eating plan:» Emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products» Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts» Limits saturated and trans fats, sodium, and added sugars» Controls portion sizes CALORIES To lose weight, most people need to reduce the number of calories they get from food and beverages (energy IN) and increase their physical activity (energy OUT). For a weight loss of 1 1 ½ pounds per week, daily intake should be reduced by 500 to 750 calories. In general:» Eating plans that contain 1,200 1,500 calories each day will help most women lose weight safely.» Eating plans that contain 1,500 1,800 calories each day are suitable for men and for women who weigh more or who exercise regularly. Very low calorie diets of fewer than 800 calories per day should not be used unless you are being monitored by your doctor. WELCOA.ORG 2 of 2

7 ToYourHealth WELCOA S ONLINE GENERAL WELLNESS BULLETIN KEEPING YOUR GUT IN CHECK Healthy Options to Stay on Tract Your digestive, or gastrointestinal (GI), tract is a long, muscular tube that runs from your mouth to your anus. It s about 30 feet long and works with other parts of your digestive system to break food and drink down into smaller molecules of nutrients. The blood absorbs these and carries them throughout the body for cells to use for energy, growth, and repair. With such a long GI highway, it s common to run into bumps in the road. About 60 to 70 million Americans are affected by digestive diseases, like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). GERD happens when your stomach acid and/or contents come back up into your esophagus (swallowing tube) or throat. This causes uncomfortable symptoms like heartburn and indigestion. IBS is a group of symptoms that includes pain in the abdomen and changes in bowel habits. People with IBS may have constipation, diarrhea, or both. Many more people have other digestive problems, like bloating and stomach pain. There are many factors that can impact gut health, says Dr. Lin Chang, a GI expert at the University of California, Los Angeles. How your body s built, your family and genetic history, how you manage stress, and what you eat can all affect your gut. Chang studies the connection between stress and IBS. Her research group has found that people who have early life stress are more likely to develop IBS. However, this increased risk for IBS went down when people confided in someone they trust about the stress they experienced, she explains. Finding healthy ways to manage stress is important for GI health, and your health overall. YOUR DIET & YOUR GUT What you eat can help or hurt your digestive system, and influence how you feel. Increasing fiber is really important for constipation, says Chang. Most Americans do not eat a lot of fiber so you have to gradually increase the fiber WELCOA.ORG 1 of 2

8 ToYourHealth in your diet. Otherwise you might get gas and more bloating, and won t stick with the changes. Try to eat fruits and vegetables at every meal. A variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts can provide a healthy mix of different fibers and nutrients to your diet. An added benefit is that the more fiber and whole foods you eat, the less room you ll have for less healthy options. But some fiber-rich foods, called high FODMAP foods, can be hard to digest. Examples include certain fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and wheat and rye products. If you have IBS, your doctor may recommend a diet low in FODMAPS. You might have heard that probiotics live microbes that are similar to those found in the human gut can improve your gut health. These are also called friendly bacteria or good bacteria. Probiotics are available in dietary supplements and in certain foods, such as yogurt. There is some evidence that probiotics may be helpful in preventing diarrhea associated with antibiotics and improving symptoms of IBS, but more needs to be learned. Researchers still don t know which probiotics are helpful and which aren t. They also don t know how much of the probiotics people would have to take or who would most likely benefit from them. FOR BETTER GUT HEALTH Eat slower. Chew your food well before swallowing. It may help you swallow less air and better sense when you re full. Enjoy smaller meals. Eat in moderation to avoid overfilling your stomach and encourage digestion. A packed stomach may also cause reflux, or your food to come back up. Set a bedtime for your gut. Try to limit how much you eat after dark. Your GI tract is most active in the morning and daytime. Manage stress. Learn healthy ways to reduce stress like relaxation breathing, mindfulness, and exercise. Stress makes it harder to digest your food well. Create a routine. Try to eat around the same times each day. Your GI system may do best on a schedule.»» Consider probiotics. Talk with your doctor about taking probiotics (supplemental healthful bacteria). They may ease constipation and IBS symptoms. Certain food additives called emulsifiers are something else that may affect your gut health. Emulsifiers are added to many processed foods to improve texture and extend shelf life. But studies show they can affect our gut flora. WELCOA.ORG 2 of 2

9 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE ON A VARIETY OF WELLNESS TOPICS 1 Your gastrointestinal (GI), tract is about 60 feet long and works with other parts of your digestive system to break food and drink down into smaller molecules of nutrients. o True o False 2 The most common type of sleep apnea is called. a. obstructive sleep apnea b. obstrusive sleep apnea c. benign sleep apnea 3 Scientists have analyzed how 10 dietary factors affect your risk of death from heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. These are known as cardiometabolic diseases. o True o False 4 A stroke occurs when to the brain fails, usually because of a blocked blood vessel. a. nutrients b. normal blood flow c. normal cell function 5 About million Americans are affected by digestive diseases, like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). a. 6 to 7 b. 90 to 100 c. 60 to 70 6 One of the most common symptoms of sleep apnea is. a. watery eyes b. excessive daytime sleepiness c. muscle soreness 7 To lose weight, most people need to reduce the number of calories. they get from food and beverages (energy IN) and increase their physical activity (energy OUT). o True o False 8 Hemorrhagic strokes are caused by a blood vessel in the brain. a. small b. broken or leaking c. enlarged WELCOA.ORG