Debunking the Fallacies for the 10 Most-Used Stroke Myths

Debunk. Do you know the word? Here it is in the 
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

Definition of debunk: 
to expose the sham or falseness of

This post is for people who think that stroke is a "you'll get over it" situation. And it's also for stroke survivors who didn't realize that what they went through was and  is really huge. So that's what I'm doing right now: Debunking the myths around stroke. I’m tired of the lack of complete  stroke awareness, of stroke being on the back burner. Stroke should be first and foremost, baby, and here's why.

For stroke 1) to kill about 140,000 Americans each year, 
2) for stroke to occur every 40 seconds, 
3) for stroke to happen to more than 795,000 people in the United States alone, 
4) for stroke to cost the United States an estimated $34 billion each year including the cost of health care services, medicines to treat stroke, and missed time for work, 
5) for stroke to be a leading cause of serious long-term disability, 
6) for stroke to be the major cause in reduced mobility in more than half of stroke survivors age 65 and over, 
you deserve to know. And now comes the debunking.

Fallacy #1: Stroke recovery only happens in the first 3 months after a stroke.

Truth: While some of the healing takes place in the first few months, recovery can happen anytime if somebody is willing to put the time into physical therapy and other healing options including acupuncture and cannabis. I remember an Occupational Therapist saying to me in Bacharach Institute for Rehabilitation, Pomona, NJ, in the first three months after the stroke, "The window is closing. After the three months, the chance of recovery is slim." I was petrified, thinking the "window is closing." And here I am now, 10 years and 8 traumatic falls later, with better skills than ever. I wish I remembered his name and call him out right here in my blog. That's "old school" thinking, man. 

Fallacy #2: If you’re in pain, it’s a stroke.

Truth: As a matter of fact, many stroke patients don’t feel any pain. The more common signs include loss of balance, dizziness, trouble with speaking, numbness in extremities, and trouble understanding those around you.

Fallacy #3: Strokes don’t affect people under the age of 65.

Truth: Strokes even happens to babies in utero. One in ten strokes occur in people age 45 and younger, and those numbers are rising, especially among millennials.

Fallacy #4: Stroke happens in the heart.

Truth: Strokes occur when blood supply to a portion of the brain is diminished or cut off.

Fallacy #5: Strokes don’t run in families.

Truth: The threat of having a stroke increases for those with a family history of stroke.

Fallacy #6: Strokes are uncommon.

Truth: You wish that were so, but there are 7 million stroke survivors in the United States and stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the US alone, and it's a top reason for disability around the world.

Fallacy #7: Small strokes don’t need medical attention.

Truth: Every stroke needs medical attention right away. Prompt treatment could be the difference between life and death and between making a full recovery vs having long-term effects.

Fallacy #8: Stroke survivors have no life anymore.

Truth: Although many survivors live with the effects of stroke for the rest of their lives, many make a strong comeback and live a good life. Look at me, for example. I used to be a runner, played the piano, and knit scarves for the family. Even though I can't do those things anymore, I read more and, of course, write.

Fallacy #9: Aspirin is an effective home remedy for stroke.

Truth: Aspirin is not always a safe remedy for a stroke. Aspirin could actually be harmful if you are having a stroke caused by bleeding (hemorrhagic stroke) in the brain. Aspirin could intensify the bleeding. 

Fallacy #10: Strokes always come about without any such warning. 

Truth: Some strokes simply happen without warning. But many strokes happen with what many describe as "the worst headache of my life." In my case, I got a bad headache, too, but I didn't go to the hospital. I just chalked it up to stress from work or bad sinuses. Other signs are numbness or pain in the extremities, confusion, or dizziness.  

So there you have it. Debunked! Aah. I feel better now.

By the way, this idea was given to me by the gifted and humble Daniel, the President (I call him that because he started it) of http://www.strokefocus.net. Join please! You will get much material and comfort on strokes, knowing that you're not alone, and TBIs (Traumatic Brain Injuries) are welcome, too! 

How Did "Stroke" Become Its Name?

This post is a change from the usual, which I needed, having researched and wrote about urination and constipation in my last two posts. Give this girl a break! They were important to write about and nobody else seemed to be doing it, but c'mon. Thus, a change from the usual.

So I was always fascinated with the derivation of words. I probably should have taken Latin in high school, but I didn't, being too occupied by the male gender and taking as little effort as possible with my studies. That's why I went to Temple University. Everybody gets in to Temple. 

Anyway, because of my love for the written word, and finding writing easy, I had a column in the local paper, Teen Scene, at the tender age of 16. I got paid $10 a column in the mid-60s which was a lot of money for me back then. I went on to many other opportunities including columns at other local papers when I was in my twenties and a freelance gig with a consumer column in the The Philadelphia Daily News and articles in The Inquirer when I was in my thirties. I tell you all this because writing came effortless to me, and it was the one thing which made me proud to be a writer. I went on to many other jobs, but they all involved writing. Thus, my magnetism to the written word was notable. 

So I always wondered about the word "stroke" and its derivation after a few years of depression when I had a stroke. I wondered but didn't do anything about it until now. So here is what I found, compliments of Johns Hopkins Health Library. 

In ancient Greece over 2400 years ago, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, first knew of "stroke" who referred to it as apoplexia, a term meaning "struck down by violence."  In the mid-1600s, Jacob Wepfer discovered that patients who died with apoplexia also had bleeding in the brain and realized that a blockage in one of the brain's blood vessels could cause apoplexia. Apoplexy, as the term was used more in centuries that ensued, meant that a person suddenly developed paralysis and a variety of changes in appearance and mood. At that time, doctors had no or little knowledge of paralysis and the brain.  

The science of medicine at times continued to study the cause, symptoms, and treatment of apoplexy when in 1928, apoplexy was divided into categories, based on the source of the problems with the blood vessel. This progression evolved to the term "cerebral vascular accident" (CVA). CVAs were referred to as a "brain attack" to note a lack of blood supply to the brain, similar to a heart attack which is caused by a lack of blood supply to the heart. Brain attack also suggested an immediate emergency procedure.

The original Greek terminology, "struck down by violence," (it  could have been called "struck") eventually turned into "stroke" (or apoplexy, which means the same thing as stroke), and apoplexy became "old school" in the 20th century. Doctors still say CVA, but stroke became the usual term with the general public. 

Doctors most often recommend to stop smoking, a healthy diet low in sodium and plenty fruits and vegetables (fruits are higher in carbohydrates than vegetables, so think about that if you're watching your carb intake), and exercise at least 3 to 4 days a week for at least 40 minutes a day. For stroke survivors who have trouble doing the 40 minutes all at once, most PTs (physical therapists) say break the 40 into smaller intervals until your endurance can handle 40 minutes at one time.

While a stroke can’t always be prevented--I got my stroke from lousy genes, Protein S Deficiency, which messes with coagulation and clots--taking these guidelines can only help reduce your stroke risk as much as possible besides leading you to a more healthy lifestyle. In addition, it may help you avoid another stroke if you've already had one.