- Altoona Regional Health System provides minimally invasive procedures to reduce risk of stroke
- The Altoona Regional Health System Primary Stroke Center earned the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™
- Altoona Regional Health System received national recognition for quality stroke care by receiving the American Stroke Association's Get With the Guidelines Gold-Plus Performance Achievement Award (2010), Silver Award (2009) and Bronze Award (2008).
- In September 2006, Altoona Regional Health System earned certification from the Joint Commission, making it the only certified Primary Stroke Center between Pittsburgh and Lancaster.
Along with aggressive diagnosis and treatment, and early rehabilitation therapy, an important aspect of Altoona Regional's Primary Stroke Center is increasing awareness of the signs of a stroke. Recognizing the signs early and getting treatment is key to minimizing the damage.
Stroke symptoms usually come on suddenly and for no apparent reason. Call 911 immediately if you or someone you're with experiences any of the following:
- Feelings of weakness or tingling on one side of the body
- Facial numbness (mouth may droop to one side)
- Inability to speak or understand someone else
- Trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance
- Severe headache without known cause
- Blurred vision in one or both eyes
- Sudden confusion
Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the number one cause of functional disability. Most strokes are preventable and many are treatable. The most important factor is to seek immediate medical care.
Time is brain. Once stroke occurs, the goal is to lessen the potentially debilitating effects, prevent further damage to the brain and reduce the medical and physical complications following a stroke. Immediate medical care is critical to achieving the best outcome.
