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You've heard the expression that time is money, but when you're dealing with stroke, thoughts about money go right out the window and time becomes brain. The faster you are treated for a stroke or brain attack, the better your odds are of limiting or reversing the brain damage that can be caused by stroke.

Signs of stroke

Signs of stroke are generally the same for men and women. "Stroke symptoms are often identified as 'sudden onset' but that is not always the case," says Janice Richards, RN, BA, Research Coordinator for the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network. "Symptoms can come on suddenly or can fluctuate over several days. Any of the following signs or symptoms of stroke should be investigated."

Watch for these symptoms:

• weakness or numbness of the arm or leg on one side of the body
• facial droop
• dimness or loss of vision, particularly in one eye
• difficulty speaking or trouble understanding speech
• sudden severe headache with no known cause
• unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness or sudden falls, particularly with any of the other signs.

Don't wait before calling for help

Stroke victims often wait too long before getting help—on average about 15 hours too long. If you can get to medical services immediately, your chances of recovery are greatly improved. Ideally you want to be at the hospital within the first hour after your symptoms start.

"Stroke is a medical emergency," cautions Dorothy Burridge, RN and Stroke Care Coordinator at the University of Alberta Hospital. "Don't minimize your symptoms. If you suddenly can't talk or you go numb on one side of your body, ask yourself, Is this normal for me? Is this how my body usually acts?"

If you answer no to these questions, that's when you need to realize that something serious is happening and you need to take action. Record the time, or have someone else record the time your symptoms start.

First three hours are critical after a stroke

"Don't wait to see if the symptoms go away," advises Burridge. Don't lie down to rest or sleep. There is a three-hour window following a stroke when certain medications can be given to some patients to reverse or minimize the effects of a stroke.

Also, do not let pain be your guide. It's possible not to have any pain with a stroke. With heart attacks, people often rush to the hospital because they are experiencing crushing pain in their chest. With stroke, there may be headache and there may not be any kind of pain at all. Symptoms vary from person to person, so know all the signs of stroke.

Even if that three hour window has passed or your symptoms have disappeared, Burridge advises that you go to the hospital anyway. You need to be evaluated. "We want to make sure there is no active bleeding in the brain," says Burridge, "and we want to see what else we can manage like high or low blood sugar, blood pressure and fever." By managing some of these other issues, health professionals can reduce the stress on the body and allow the body to focus on healing the brain.

"And don't rule out stroke if you are young," adds Burridge. "Stroke can happen at any age." The causes may be very different but stroke is affecting everyone, not just seniors.

It's okay to call an ambulance

Canadians have been trained not to head to the emergency room for every little problem. Stroke is different. "It's okay to call an ambulance. You are not bothering the staff," says Burridge, who worked as an emergency nurse prior to her posting as Stroke Care Coordinator.

It is best not to drive yourself to the hospital if you think you may have had a stroke. "With stroke, it is possible not to have full awareness," says Burridge. Your level of alertness on the road may be impaired, your judgment may be off.

If you can, bring a person in with you right away who has been with you during your symptoms. That person is a valuable source of information for the health care professionals and can help avoid delays in your treatment by answering questions or providing consent for treatment quickly, if need be.

There are ways to protect your brain

The good news is that stroke is one of the most preventable of all life-threatening health problems and there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of stroke.

• Control your blood pressure
• Follow your doctor's guidance if you have atrial fibrillation
• Control your diabetes
• Balance your cholesterol levels
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Don't smoke
• If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation

Some stroke risk factors cannot be changed

Unfortunately, not all risk factors for stroke can be controlled by your decisions. For instance, your chance of having a stroke increases as you age. Most stroke victims are over 65, although the average age of stroke victims continues to decrease. Your risk of a stroke is higher if immediate family members, such as your grandparents, parents, brothers or sisters, had a stroke before the age of 65.

Men have a slightly higher risk of stroke than women. However, many women die from stroke because they live longer than men. Also, often those around them do not recognize the signs of stroke until it is too late.

Canadians of First Nations, as well as those of African, Hispanic and South Asian descent are also at a higher risk because of their higher rates of high blood pressure and diabetes.

Also, if you have already experienced a stroke or mini-stroke (TIA), your chance of having another is higher.

So the best way to protect yourself from stroke is to control your risk factors, and know the signs of stroke. By doing so, you can reduce or even eliminate your chance of stroke; or if you do have a stroke, you can limit its damaging effects with quick action.