Hello and welcome to
Health for a Lifetime.
00:00:52.31\00:00:55.96
I'm your host Don Mackintosh
and today we're joined with
00:00:55.99\00:00:58.85
Dr. Phillip Mills
from Wichita, Kansas.
00:00:58.88\00:01:00.89
Welcome, Dr. Mills.
00:01:00.92\00:01:02.05
Thank you.
00:01:02.08\00:01:04.00
You told me that you have a
specialty and you used a very
00:01:04.03\00:01:08.85
fancy word, physiatrist.
00:01:08.88\00:01:10.36
What exactly is a physiatrist?
00:01:10.39\00:01:12.25
It's physical
medicine and rehabilitation.
00:01:12.28\00:01:17.41
There's several general
specialties in medicine.
00:01:17.44\00:01:22.07
There is surgery, that's
the diagnosis and treatment
00:01:22.10\00:01:24.90
of those diseases that
are best treated with surgery.
00:01:24.93\00:01:27.93
There is internal medicine,
that's the diagnosis and
00:01:27.96\00:01:30.42
treatment of those
diseases that are best treated
00:01:30.45\00:01:32.45
with medications.
00:01:32.48\00:01:33.51
There's the psychiatric types
of specialties which deals with
00:01:33.54\00:01:39.55
problems in the mind.
00:01:39.58\00:01:40.74
In physical medicine we
deal with those diseases and
00:01:40.77\00:01:45.70
diagnosis of problems that are
best treated with the physical
00:01:45.73\00:01:49.41
modalities - physical therapy,
occupational therapy, speech.
00:01:49.44\00:01:54.29
And we deal with pain problems,
muscular skeletal problems, and
00:01:54.32\00:02:00.30
sequela, the long term problems
and some of the acute problems
00:02:00.33\00:02:05.60
of neurologic disorders.
00:02:05.63\00:02:08.49
Neurologic disorder
would be like a stroke
00:02:08.52\00:02:10.77
or those type of things?
00:02:10.80\00:02:12.50
A stroke would be one,
head injury, spinal cord injury.
00:02:12.53\00:02:16.16
Well, today we're
going to talk about strokes.
00:02:16.19\00:02:19.58
I know it's tongue and
cheek but it's going to help us.
00:02:19.61\00:02:24.00
We've entitled today's program
00:02:24.03\00:02:26.10
"Different Strokes
for Different Folks"
00:02:26.13\00:02:29.59
There's really nothing funny
about that but really what is a
00:02:29.62\00:02:32.87
stroke and how many strokes
are there in the United States
00:02:32.90\00:02:35.28
each year?
00:02:35.31\00:02:36.30
Well, world wide there is
varying numbers of strokes.
00:02:36.33\00:02:40.99
In Nigeria there is less than
100 strokes per 100,000 people.
00:02:41.02\00:02:46.15
Now they may have some
problem counting accurately
00:02:46.18\00:02:49.44
so it may be slightly higher.
00:02:49.47\00:02:50.74
In Australia there are 329.1
strokes per 100,000 population.
00:02:50.77\00:02:59.73
We're somewhere in the middle.
00:02:59.76\00:03:01.14
We have about 150, actually
varies depending on the study,
00:03:01.17\00:03:05.94
but approximately
150 per 100,000 people.
00:03:05.97\00:03:10.81
That means every year there are
approximately a million strokes
00:03:10.84\00:03:15.93
here in this country and of
those 600,000, more or less,
00:03:15.96\00:03:23.69
again I'm giving very
round numbers, about 600,000
00:03:23.72\00:03:26.57
are people who have
never had a stroke before.
00:03:26.60\00:03:29.44
That's interesting.
00:03:29.47\00:03:30.44
Now you know some
of our viewers today,
00:03:30.45\00:03:33.20
people that have joined
us, maybe thinking, "Well this
00:03:33.23\00:03:36.13
is nothing for me,
I'm a young person. "
00:03:36.16\00:03:38.77
Is this something young
people should worry about?
00:03:38.80\00:03:42.39
At what age do strokes occur?
00:03:42.42\00:03:44.59
Unfortunately
strokes can occur at any age.
00:03:44.62\00:03:46.61
You can have strokes inside
the mothers womb while the fetus
00:03:46.64\00:03:50.59
is developing.
00:03:50.62\00:03:51.60
And when they're born we
call that, and that's one
00:03:51.63\00:03:53.87
form of cerebral palsy.
00:03:53.90\00:03:55.44
You can have strokes as a child.
00:03:55.47\00:03:57.43
Up to age 8 we call
that adult cerebral palsy
00:03:57.46\00:04:01.97
for certain types of reasons.
00:04:02.00\00:04:05.37
Then you can have strokes
as teenagers particularly among
00:04:05.40\00:04:09.27
drug users.
00:04:09.30\00:04:11.42
There's also strokes that
we see in the 20-30 population
00:04:11.45\00:04:17.60
among females that are
taking birth control pills
00:04:17.63\00:04:21.09
and smoking.
00:04:21.12\00:04:23.61
We see strokes among
young people that have a
00:04:23.64\00:04:29.32
genetic problem of the
blood vessels of the brain.
00:04:29.35\00:04:32.38
And then of course as a
person gets older they have more
00:04:32.41\00:04:36.16
and more risk of stroke and
by the time a person is over 80
00:04:36.19\00:04:41.68
there's about a 13% chance
per year that a person would
00:04:41.71\00:04:46.03
have a stroke.
00:04:46.06\00:04:47.03
So it increases when
you're older but a any age
00:04:47.04\00:04:50.10
anyone watching today should
learn something very helpful.
00:04:50.13\00:04:52.97
Also, at every age
you're exposed to stroke.
00:04:53.00\00:04:56.67
I remember I didn't understand
anything about strokes
00:04:56.70\00:05:00.40
when I was 3 or 4.
00:05:00.43\00:05:02.43
But because my dad was a
minister we'd go visiting
00:05:02.46\00:05:05.95
in hospitals and I would see
people with strokes and it was
00:05:05.98\00:05:09.26
something I didn't understand.
00:05:09.29\00:05:12.37
And I think it is very
helpful for us to understand the
00:05:12.40\00:05:15.20
common problems
that people have.
00:05:15.23\00:05:17.38
Well, let's just go back
then to try and understand
00:05:17.41\00:05:19.52
this a little bit.
00:05:19.55\00:05:20.52
What exactly is a stroke?
00:05:20.53\00:05:22.49
Well, historically the word
stroke has actually been used
00:05:22.52\00:05:27.84
for different diagnosis.
00:05:27.87\00:05:30.04
At the time of Christ, if a
doctor said you have a stroke or
00:05:30.07\00:05:33.67
they weren't
talking about what we would
00:05:33.70\00:05:38.37
call a stroke today.
00:05:38.40\00:05:39.37
They were actually calling
leprosy stroke and by that
00:05:39.38\00:05:43.58
they meant it was a judgment
from God, the finger of God
00:05:43.61\00:05:45.83
is another name for stroke.
00:05:45.86\00:05:47.59
In the Middle Ages, however;
people developed these symptom
00:05:47.62\00:05:54.47
complex that we now call a
00:05:54.50\00:05:55.96
cerebral
vascular axon, or stroke.
00:05:55.99\00:05:58.17
And what happened in the middle
of the night they would have
00:05:58.20\00:06:02.25
this sudden onset or maybe
even during the day a paralysis
00:06:02.28\00:06:05.74
on one side of the body or
they might not be able to speak.
00:06:05.78\00:06:09.21
And it was so sudden and
so striking they thought that
00:06:09.24\00:06:14.31
this must be a judgment
of the hand of God on them.
00:06:14.34\00:06:16.96
They would call it the
stroke of God - a stroke.
00:06:16.99\00:06:19.68
So today we still have
the residual of that term.
00:06:19.71\00:06:24.67
We call it a stroke.
00:06:24.70\00:06:26.34
Would it be safe to say that
anything that happened suddenly
00:06:26.37\00:06:29.65
is what they
thought was a stroke?
00:06:29.68\00:06:31.14
Well, if it had certain
symptoms as sudden onset,
00:06:31.17\00:06:34.45
lack of movement on
one side of the body,
00:06:34.48\00:06:40.38
sudden onset of difficulty
of talking and generally
00:06:40.41\00:06:43.52
that would also be associated
with a weakness on one side
00:06:43.55\00:06:46.61
of the body.
00:06:46.64\00:06:47.61
Memory loss, is that something
that happens with strokes?
00:06:47.62\00:06:50.37
Yes, in fact that may be the
only symptom of a mild stroke
00:06:50.40\00:06:54.18
They have a sudden
decrease in memory.
00:06:54.21\00:06:57.38
Or maybe have a
sudden episode of confusion.
00:06:57.41\00:07:01.43
And that maybe the
only symptom of a stroke.
00:07:01.46\00:07:04.43
There are other strokes
that have no symptoms at all.
00:07:04.46\00:07:07.12
But if someone has a question
about whether or not they've
00:07:07.15\00:07:10.34
had a stroke, would it be
fair to say that if it hasn't
00:07:10.37\00:07:15.26
come on suddenly it's
probably not a stroke?
00:07:15.29\00:07:17.71
If a person is getting
gradual weakness on one side
00:07:17.74\00:07:21.04
of their body, gradual loss,
then you have to think of some
00:07:21.07\00:07:25.18
other causes including
tumor, whereas strokes are
00:07:25.21\00:07:28.23
generally sudden.
00:07:28.26\00:07:29.84
We have a nice model here.
00:07:29.87\00:07:32.08
Looks like this person may
be left brained - laughter -
00:07:32.11\00:07:35.03
I think he's just
open-minded. - laughter -
00:07:35.06\00:07:36.46
Tell us a little bit more
about what happens in a stroke
00:07:36.49\00:07:41.40
maybe using the model here.
00:07:41.43\00:07:42.86
What a stroke is
actually loss of blood supply
00:07:42.89\00:07:46.36
to some area of the brain.
00:07:46.39\00:07:48.24
And since every area of the
brain has certain blood vessels
00:07:48.27\00:07:52.60
that go to it.
00:07:52.63\00:07:53.60
Obviously you can have
many different types of stokes.
00:07:53.63\00:07:57.22
In fact in my practice, and
I've seen thousands of strokes,
00:07:57.25\00:08:00.11
I have never seen a
stroke that was exactly the same
00:08:00.14\00:08:04.64
as another stroke.
00:08:04.67\00:08:05.95
Now there are three major
blood vessels that service
00:08:05.98\00:08:09.59
the brain here.
00:08:09.62\00:08:11.56
To the front there is a blood
vessel that goes to this area
00:08:11.59\00:08:17.50
that's called the anterior.
00:08:17.53\00:08:20.12
So that's the frontal lobe?
00:08:20.15\00:08:21.68
Yes, in that area.
00:08:21.71\00:08:23.96
In the back this has
to do with some vision,
00:08:23.99\00:08:28.79
the posterior cerebral artery.
00:08:28.82\00:08:31.74
In the middle,
surprisingly enough, it's the
00:08:31.77\00:08:35.34
middle cerebral or brain artery.
00:08:35.37\00:08:38.11
There are of course many other
blood vessels but those are some
00:08:38.14\00:08:44.08
of the major ones.
00:08:44.11\00:08:45.26
Depending on which
blood vessel is involved
00:08:45.29\00:08:49.97
that depends on the
symptoms that a person has.
00:08:50.00\00:08:52.49
Let me ask you a question that
is sort of about the subject
00:08:52.52\00:08:54.72
and we want to come
back, of course, to strokes.
00:08:54.75\00:08:56.76
You know you hear a lot of
talk today about some of these
00:08:56.79\00:08:59.17
left brained or right brained
being creative or analytical,
00:08:59.20\00:09:03.71
being this or that, is
there anything to that?
00:09:03.74\00:09:06.12
Actually early on when they
were studying strokes, a person
00:09:06.15\00:09:09.98
that would have
left side involvement or
00:09:10.01\00:09:12.17
right side involvement, they
did notice some differences.
00:09:12.20\00:09:15.50
But in actual fact
the pop psychology idea of
00:09:15.53\00:09:21.89
left brain or right brain,
for the last 25 years those
00:09:21.92\00:09:27.81
who have really
studied it, have shown that
00:09:27.84\00:09:30.32
is really nonsense.
00:09:30.35\00:09:32.31
There are some differences
but it's not like you hear
00:09:32.34\00:09:36.21
in the popular
psychological culture.
00:09:36.24\00:09:43.00
In fact that just shows
that most people don't really
00:09:43.03\00:09:47.74
know the differences
in the areas of the brain.
00:09:47.77\00:09:51.68
Now if someone does have a
stroke on the right side or
00:09:51.71\00:09:54.99
left side different
things do happen to them, right?
00:09:55.02\00:09:57.69
Yes.
00:09:57.72\00:09:58.69
Now the way that God designed
the brain - one of my professors
00:09:58.70\00:10:03.82
said He did it because He wanted
to confuse the neurosurgeons.
00:10:03.85\00:10:07.15
Actually the left
side of your brain controls
00:10:07.18\00:10:10.64
the right side of your body.
00:10:10.67\00:10:12.24
For most people it also
controls the speech center.
00:10:12.27\00:10:17.70
So if you have a stroke effect
in the left side you may have
00:10:17.73\00:10:23.35
some problems on the right side.
00:10:23.38\00:10:25.26
If you have a stroke on the
right side, you may have some
00:10:25.29\00:10:27.80
problems on the left.
00:10:27.83\00:10:29.34
There is also generally
associated with a right sided
00:10:29.37\00:10:32.90
stroke you may have
some problems with judgment.
00:10:32.93\00:10:35.26
You'll also have problems
with spatial orientations.
00:10:35.29\00:10:38.76
Difficult to get your
clothes on for example.
00:10:38.79\00:10:41.77
One of the most interesting
problems in a person who has
00:10:41.80\00:10:44.63
a right sided stroke
and a left sided weakness,
00:10:44.66\00:10:48.22
if it's profound, they
may have difficulty in reading
00:10:48.25\00:10:52.28
a person's face.
00:10:52.31\00:10:53.50
And so what you say to
them is all they can interpret
00:10:53.53\00:10:56.88
from what you are saying.
00:10:56.91\00:10:58.82
So you can't wink and
then you can't make gestures
00:10:58.85\00:11:03.10
or those kind of things
they just don't pick up on?
00:11:03.13\00:11:05.04
No.
00:11:05.07\00:11:06.04
If you say the opposite
of what you mean, you know
00:11:06.05\00:11:08.11
sometimes we'll say the opposite
of what we mean but we're saying
00:11:08.14\00:11:12.76
it in such a way that
the other person knows
00:11:12.79\00:11:14.40
that we don't mean it.
00:11:14.43\00:11:15.44
For example: Great, I'm doing
great but said sarcastically.
00:11:15.47\00:11:16.69
Right, they won't be able
to be able to understand that.
00:11:16.72\00:11:20.87
There is those changes and
they become what we call very
00:11:20.90\00:11:24.99
concrete in their
understanding of conversation.
00:11:25.02\00:11:29.32
In a few minutes we're
going to be taking a break.
00:11:29.35\00:11:32.88
Before we do that I want
you to cover with us, you know
00:11:32.91\00:11:37.53
this title "Different Strokes
for Different Folks" are there
00:11:37.56\00:11:39.93
actually
different types of strokes?
00:11:39.96\00:11:41.58
There are three
major causes of strokes.
00:11:41.61\00:11:44.32
The first cause is right in the
brain itself the blood vessel
00:11:44.35\00:11:52.73
begins to get sludge on it
and we call it atherosclerosis
00:11:52.76\00:11:56.90
and as it begins to worsen then
a person can actually develop
00:11:56.93\00:12:03.86
a clot right in
the brain itself.
00:12:03.89\00:12:07.36
Now that type of stroke often
will show itself first with very
00:12:07.39\00:12:14.18
short strokes that we
call transient ischemic attacks
00:12:14.21\00:12:17.10
or TIA's that lasts
for just short times.
00:12:17.13\00:12:20.18
There's another type of stroke
and that type of stroke is
00:12:20.21\00:12:25.92
where the clot forms in
some other part of the body.
00:12:25.95\00:12:29.45
In about 45% of these strokes,
this is embolic and the other
00:12:29.48\00:12:34.51
would be thrombotic, it would
come from person who has an
00:12:34.54\00:12:39.42
arrhythmia in the heart and
the blood is not circulating
00:12:39.45\00:12:42.59
quite right in the heart.
00:12:42.62\00:12:43.71
They have atrial fibrillation.
00:12:43.74\00:12:45.27
So it clots there and
just sits there milling around.
00:12:45.30\00:12:48.56
It breaks up some of those
little blood cells and they form
00:12:48.59\00:12:51.88
a clot and then
they go to the brain.
00:12:51.91\00:12:53.00
They go into the
brain and they get caught
00:12:53.03\00:12:56.36
in one of the blood vessels.
00:12:56.39\00:12:58.65
That's another type of stroke.
00:12:58.69\00:13:00.92
A third kind of stroke is where
one of the blood vessels burst
00:13:00.95\00:13:04.85
and you have a bleed.
00:13:04.88\00:13:07.24
That of course
is very dangerous.
00:13:07.27\00:13:10.96
The treatment of these three
different types of strokes is
00:13:10.99\00:13:15.01
different so it's very important
to have a complete evaluation.
00:13:15.04\00:13:19.64
Now there is another
way that a stroke can form
00:13:19.67\00:13:22.99
and that is the blood
vessel goes into a spasm.
00:13:23.02\00:13:25.64
It can't spasm forever, but as
it relaxes there may have been a
00:13:25.67\00:13:30.47
clot that formed.
00:13:30.50\00:13:31.60
Certain types of disorders
can cause the blood vessel
00:13:31.63\00:13:35.89
to tighten up and cause a spasm.
00:13:35.92\00:13:38.05
Let me see if I
have this straight.
00:13:38.08\00:13:40.20
Then we want to come back and
talk a little bit more about how
00:13:40.23\00:13:41.90
we can avoid this,
hopefully, a stroke.
00:13:41.93\00:13:44.05
We have a vascular spasm
that can go into a stroke,
00:13:44.08\00:13:47.84
we have a rupture of
the actual blood vessel,
00:13:47.87\00:13:50.81
we have a blood clot,
and then the other was...
00:13:50.84\00:13:53.99
what was the other
one we talked about?
00:13:54.02\00:13:55.50
You have two
kinds of blood clots.
00:13:55.53\00:13:57.93
You can have a blood clot
right there in the brain itself,
00:13:57.96\00:14:01.76
or you can have a blood clot
elsewhere that sort of makes
00:14:01.79\00:14:05.55
its way up to the brain.
00:14:05.58\00:14:07.14
That's amazing that there's
so many types of strokes.
00:14:07.17\00:14:10.54
When we come back
hopefully you're going to share
00:14:10.57\00:14:13.90
with us how to
avoid having a stroke.
00:14:13.94\00:14:16.00
We hope that you will join us.
00:14:16.03\00:14:17.60
Have you found
yourself wishing that you could
00:14:30.62\00:14:32.62
shed a few pounds?
00:14:32.65\00:14:33.64
Have you been on a
diet for most of your life,
00:14:33.67\00:14:36.13
but not found anything that
will really keep the weight off?
00:14:36.16\00:14:39.01
If you've answered yes to
any of these questions, then we
00:14:39.04\00:14:42.59
have a solution
for you that works.
00:14:42.62\00:14:44.98
Dr. Hans Diehl and
Dr. Aileen Ludington
00:14:45.01\00:14:47.89
have written a
marvelous booklet called:
00:14:47.92\00:14:50.33
Reversing Obesity Naturally,
and we'd like to send it to you
00:14:50.36\00:14:53.44
free of charge.
00:14:53.47\00:14:55.17
Here's a medically sound
approach successfully used
00:14:55.20\00:14:57.68
by thousands who
are able to eat more
00:14:57.71\00:14:59.92
and loose weight permanently
00:14:59.95\00:15:01.42
without feeling guilty or hungry
through lifestyle medicine.
00:15:01.45\00:15:05.16
Dr. Diehl and Dr. Ludington
have been featured on 3ABN
00:15:05.19\00:15:08.84
and in this booklet they present
a sensible approach to eating,
00:15:08.87\00:15:12.23
nutrition, and lifestyle changes
that can help you prevent
00:15:12.26\00:15:15.58
heart disease,
diabetes, and even cancer.
00:15:15.61\00:15:17.95
Call or write
today for your free copy:
00:15:17.98\00:15:20.57
Welcome back.
00:15:41.89\00:15:42.92
We've been talking with Dr.
Phillip Mills about strokes.
00:15:42.95\00:15:46.40
We've discovered that there are
three different types of strokes
00:15:46.43\00:15:50.54
but as we were talking we want
to know how to avoid strokes,
00:15:50.57\00:15:53.67
Dr. Mills, we're not so
interested in the different
00:15:53.71\00:15:55.46
types, although I
know that's very important.
00:15:55.49\00:15:57.46
Has there been anyone in
your life or your experience,
00:15:57.50\00:16:01.25
I know you've seen thousands
of strokes, but anyone in your
00:16:01.29\00:16:04.79
experience that has had a
stroke that really touched
00:16:04.83\00:16:07.36
you personally?
00:16:07.39\00:16:08.36
First let me say this, Don.
00:16:08.37\00:16:11.11
Not only am I concerned about
strokes, and people have them,
00:16:11.14\00:16:14.37
but a lot of the people
around the listeners and around
00:16:14.41\00:16:19.16
me have pre-stroke behavior.
00:16:19.20\00:16:22.88
By pre-stroke behavior I mean
they are engaging in activity
00:16:22.91\00:16:27.04
that produces strokes in a
certain percentage of people.
00:16:27.07\00:16:31.16
There was a lady that
worked in my hospital.
00:16:31.20\00:16:35.94
She was just really vibrant,
vivacious, fun to be with
00:16:35.98\00:16:39.88
and she was only 50 years old.
00:16:39.91\00:16:41.93
But I discovered certain
life styles that had caused her
00:16:41.96\00:16:45.89
blood pressure to be quite high.
00:16:45.92\00:16:48.03
In fact she was having
blood pressure of 240 over 150
00:16:48.07\00:16:52.99
when I took it one day.
00:16:53.02\00:16:54.44
I was of course very concerned
about that and urged her to
00:16:54.48\00:16:58.61
immediately get that
blood pressure under control
00:16:58.64\00:17:01.49
and see her primary
care physician regarding it
00:17:01.53\00:17:05.23
and take appropriate
steps to get it down now.
00:17:05.26\00:17:08.89
With high blood pressure what
can happen is the blood vessels
00:17:08.92\00:17:13.27
burst and then you have a bleed.
00:17:13.31\00:17:15.79
That's one of the most life
threatening types of strokes
00:17:15.82\00:17:19.69
which you can have.
00:17:19.72\00:17:21.88
Well, nothing changed.
00:17:21.91\00:17:23.99
I even made arrangements for her
to see a primary care physician.
00:17:24.03\00:17:28.69
She was too busy to go.
00:17:28.72\00:17:30.60
So she wasn't listening to you.
00:17:30.63\00:17:32.26
She wouldn't make changes.
00:17:32.29\00:17:33.52
Then I begged her.
00:17:33.56\00:17:35.05
I said, "You see the patients
as they come in, you're only
00:17:35.09\00:17:37.96
50 years old, I don't know when
it's going to happen to you,
00:17:38.00\00:17:41.14
but one day you're going to be
not a receptionist here at this
00:17:41.17\00:17:44.28
hospital, you're going to
be a patient here, and you're
00:17:44.32\00:17:46.94
going to be
paralyzed on one side,
00:17:46.98\00:17:49.14
and that's if you're lucky.
00:17:49.17\00:17:50.46
A month went by, two months,
three months went by, and
00:17:50.50\00:17:56.44
two years ago, which was just
fairly recently, I had my nurse
00:17:56.47\00:18:04.48
run into the examining
room where I was, I was actually
00:18:04.51\00:18:08.28
seeing a patient.
00:18:08.32\00:18:09.63
She says, "You have to come out
right now, my nurse is crying. "
00:18:09.66\00:18:14.24
She said, "This receptionist was
just ready to leave work and she
00:18:14.28\00:18:18.82
had developed a very severe
head ache and she was beginning
00:18:18.85\00:18:21.48
to loose consciousness,
would I go see her?"
00:18:21.51\00:18:23.59
I ran back to Physical Therapy
where this worker was laying
00:18:23.62\00:18:29.53
down on a mat.
00:18:29.56\00:18:30.96
There she was mumbling almost
incoherently but I could tell
00:18:30.99\00:18:35.73
she was saying, "My
head, my head, it's the worst
00:18:35.76\00:18:38.24
headache I've ever had!"
00:18:38.27\00:18:39.32
She was becoming
less and less conscience.
00:18:39.35\00:18:43.89
I was very concerned that
she had a bleed - a blood vessel
00:18:43.92\00:18:47.65
had burst.
00:18:47.68\00:18:49.33
We called the ambulance and
had her taken immediately to the
00:18:49.36\00:18:56.55
large acute care
hospital that our rehab center
00:18:56.58\00:19:01.26
is associated with.
00:19:01.29\00:19:02.34
By the time she
arrived at the hospital
00:19:02.37\00:19:06.14
she was completely unconscious.
00:19:06.17\00:19:07.64
They did special studies,
CT scans, and they did find
00:19:07.67\00:19:10.89
a great deal of
blood in her brain.
00:19:10.92\00:19:13.30
In fact the neurosurgeon went in
and took a grapefruit size clot.
00:19:13.33\00:19:19.79
He called me up and said,
"She's not going to live. "
00:19:19.82\00:19:22.67
Very fortunately for her
the surgery was successful.
00:19:22.70\00:19:28.61
Over a prolonged period of time
she began to improve and she
00:19:28.64\00:19:32.77
did come back to our rehab
hospital paralyzed on one side.
00:19:32.80\00:19:37.14
At 50 years old she
had a very severe problem.
00:19:37.17\00:19:42.04
She was severely handicapped
and will not be able to work
00:19:42.07\00:19:49.70
ever again.
00:19:49.73\00:19:50.70
I determined after I saw this
that I would do everything I
00:19:50.71\00:19:56.33
could to encourage
people to avoid those factors
00:19:56.36\00:20:00.38
that lead up to strokes -
the pre-stroke behavior as I
00:20:00.41\00:20:05.59
always refer to them.
00:20:05.63\00:20:07.59
One of the big things
that I hear in that story,
00:20:07.63\00:20:09.39
every good physician will
tell a story, because I think
00:20:09.43\00:20:12.99
Doctor meets
teacher, doesn't it?
00:20:13.02\00:20:14.59
What I hear in that is, listen
when somebody is talking to you,
00:20:14.62\00:20:18.79
especially someone who knows
what they're talking about.
00:20:18.83\00:20:21.40
But the other thing I heard
is high blood pressure is not
00:20:21.44\00:20:23.98
something toy around with.
00:20:24.01\00:20:26.03
Is there anything else
that we can really focus in on
00:20:26.06\00:20:30.09
that we need to avoid if
we want to avoid having the
00:20:30.13\00:20:34.13
"big one" or a stroke?
00:20:34.17\00:20:35.24
Another real big one
is high blood pressure.
00:20:35.28\00:20:39.07
High blood pressure, let me say
is dangerous because it doesn't
00:20:39.11\00:20:42.81
cause any
discomfort as a general rule.
00:20:42.84\00:20:45.38
So it's a silent killer.
00:20:45.42\00:20:47.45
But it's very important.
00:20:47.49\00:20:49.45
Another biggy in the
area of stroke is smoking.
00:20:49.48\00:20:53.49
I already referred to
smoking and birth control pills.
00:20:53.53\00:20:56.40
But smoking in and of itself
is a big contributor to stroke.
00:20:56.44\00:21:03.30
Why is that?
00:21:03.33\00:21:04.97
We believe that the problem
is it's a vascular constrictor.
00:21:05.00\00:21:10.33
And there are other
poisons and effects of
00:21:10.37\00:21:13.81
the cigarette smoking.
00:21:13.85\00:21:15.12
But if a person stops within
a very few months their risk of
00:21:15.16\00:21:22.02
stroke begins to decrease.
00:21:22.05\00:21:24.75
So a person, immediately when
they stop smoking, is decreasing
00:21:24.78\00:21:30.34
their risk of stroke.
00:21:30.38\00:21:33.36
If you have high blood
pressure get it checked.
00:21:33.40\00:21:35.55
If you're smoking, stop smoking.
00:21:35.58\00:21:37.50
What about
having a little alcohol?
00:21:37.53\00:21:39.38
I hear that thins the
blood, is that good for strokes?
00:21:39.41\00:21:41.70
Alcohol is a major contributor
of strokes, and also it causes
00:21:41.74\00:21:47.97
not only problems with strokes
but it also has problems with
00:21:48.00\00:21:54.19
balance.
00:21:54.23\00:21:55.20
So a person may have a stroke
and fall and if they have a
00:21:55.21\00:21:59.16
little bit of alcohol on
board they might not have
00:21:59.20\00:22:02.51
good judgment to get help
and so it is a complicated
00:22:02.55\00:22:05.82
complicator and a
causer of strokes.
00:22:05.86\00:22:10.45
A person should not
drink one alcoholic beverage.
00:22:10.49\00:22:16.44
What about things you eat?
00:22:16.47\00:22:17.95
Are there things you can eat
that hurt you or that help you?
00:22:17.99\00:22:21.90
Yes.
00:22:21.94\00:22:24.39
The very same foods that
hurt your heart cause strokes.
00:22:24.43\00:22:28.70
It's exactly the same.
00:22:28.74\00:22:30.24
So the person who is
being kind to his heart
00:22:30.27\00:22:33.26
is being kind to
his blood vessels.
00:22:33.30\00:22:35.23
He's being kind to his brain and
decreasing his risk of stroke.
00:22:35.27\00:22:40.77
What that means is the fruits,
grains, nuts, vegetables - those
00:22:40.81\00:22:46.28
are the good foods.
00:22:46.32\00:22:48.00
The foods that are
high in fats are meats.
00:22:48.03\00:22:50.84
The high fat gravies, the high
fat dressings, those are all
00:22:50.88\00:22:59.78
stroke contributors.
00:22:59.81\00:23:02.08
We should avoid those and go
for the low fat and avoid the
00:23:02.11\00:23:07.97
high fat diet.
00:23:08.01\00:23:09.12
So the fettuccini alfredo
and all those things that make
00:23:09.16\00:23:11.53
our mouths water are
pre-stroke behaviors.
00:23:11.56\00:23:14.19
I worked for several
years in a hospital as a nurse.
00:23:14.23\00:23:22.72
I noticed that the diabetics
many times seem to have problems
00:23:22.76\00:23:26.95
with strokes.
00:23:26.99\00:23:27.96
Was I just noticing
that or was that a fact?
00:23:27.97\00:23:30.25
No.
00:23:30.29\00:23:31.26
Diabetes is another contributor
for stroke for several reasons.
00:23:31.27\00:23:34.72
One of them it also
effects blood vessels but it is
00:23:34.76\00:23:38.87
associated with stroke as
well as other vascular problems.
00:23:38.91\00:23:41.80
One thing that you said at
the beginning of the program,
00:23:41.83\00:23:44.69
people just joining
us may not remember this,
00:23:44.73\00:23:47.66
it fascinated me when you
said that you can have a stroke
00:23:47.70\00:23:51.33
even before you're born.
00:23:51.37\00:23:52.75
Explain that.
00:23:52.79\00:23:54.04
How can we avoid that?
00:23:54.08\00:23:55.05
Maybe there's some pregnant
mothers or those thinking of
00:23:55.06\00:23:57.72
starting a family.
00:23:57.76\00:23:59.06
Sometimes they're caused by
forces that we don't understand.
00:23:59.10\00:24:05.76
But some drugs that people take
increase the risk of a stroke
00:24:05.79\00:24:12.41
in utero and certainly
the illegal drugs increase
00:24:12.45\00:24:17.24
the risk of stroke.
00:24:17.28\00:24:18.51
If a mother who is pregnant
can have a good healthy diet
00:24:18.55\00:24:23.48
and can have abundant exercise
that decreases the risk of
00:24:23.51\00:24:27.94
stroke for not only her later
but it decreases the risk of
00:24:27.98\00:24:32.37
stroke in the baby.
00:24:32.41\00:24:34.81
Exercise - that
helps us avoid stroke.
00:24:34.85\00:24:38.62
How does that work?
00:24:38.65\00:24:39.62
It works several ways.
00:24:39.63\00:24:41.57
One way is it improves
the vascular strength of the
00:24:41.60\00:24:47.81
blood vessels and it
also can help decrease your
00:24:47.84\00:24:54.18
blood pressure.
00:24:54.21\00:24:55.21
But in general we find that
the people who are slothful,
00:24:55.24\00:24:59.82
lack exercise, have
an increase in strokes.
00:24:59.85\00:25:04.48
When you talk about the vessels
being improved by exercising
00:25:04.51\00:25:09.49
does that mean when
the when your heart beats
00:25:09.52\00:25:14.79
more strongly and firmly
that interplay of the vessels
00:25:14.82\00:25:21.20
that makes them healthier,
is that what you're saying?
00:25:21.23\00:25:23.45
It does, yes.
00:25:23.48\00:25:25.21
Big meals, are they dangerous?
00:25:25.24\00:25:29.50
Particularly what has been very
amazing in the last two or three
00:25:29.53\00:25:35.09
years there have been
some studies that have come out
00:25:35.12\00:25:37.37
that show that one fatty
meal increases your risk of both
00:25:37.40\00:25:41.95
heart attack and stroke
- just one high fat meal.
00:25:41.98\00:25:45.80
If a person has a high fat
meal and immediately sleeps
00:25:45.83\00:25:50.70
after that, that can also
increase his risks because of
00:25:50.74\00:25:55.58
pooling of the blood
and because of pooling with
00:25:55.61\00:25:58.79
real high fat in it.
00:25:58.82\00:26:00.39
So get up right after you eat,
do the dishes, walk the dog,
00:26:00.42\00:26:05.26
do something.
00:26:05.30\00:26:06.27
Don't lay down on the couch.
00:26:06.28\00:26:07.47
I've got to say that's been a
temptation of mine in the past.
00:26:07.51\00:26:11.55
That's a tip for me and
I'm sure many others as well.
00:26:11.59\00:26:15.28
A lot of people that have joined
us today probably know people
00:26:15.32\00:26:22.81
or maybe they've
experienced a stroke themselves.
00:26:22.84\00:26:25.99
We've got about a minute
left here in the program.
00:26:26.03\00:26:29.14
I know you're a
Christian physician.
00:26:29.18\00:26:31.73
What do you say to a patient
whose done everything right
00:26:31.76\00:26:36.36
but something
like a stroke happens?
00:26:36.40\00:26:39.20
I'd say the same thing
that Paul says, and I'm just
00:26:39.23\00:26:41.96
memorizing this text.
00:26:41.99\00:26:43.96
This is Romans 8:22-23
"For we know that the whole
00:26:43.99\00:26:53.51
creation groaneth and travaileth
in pain together until now. "
00:26:53.54\00:26:56.95
That is certainly
true with all the problems.
00:26:56.98\00:27:00.07
But he then adds
something very interesting.
00:27:00.10\00:27:03.12
"And not only they but ourselves
also, which have the firstfruits
00:27:03.15\00:27:08.08
of the Spirit, even we ourselves
groan within ourselves, waiting
00:27:08.11\00:27:13.00
for the adoption, to wit,
the redemption of our body. "
00:27:13.03\00:27:15.87
In other words, Paul is
saying that even though he was
00:27:15.91\00:27:19.79
filled with the Spirit, he
had problems in his body and he
00:27:19.82\00:27:23.67
couldn't wait for
the second coming.
00:27:23.70\00:27:25.05
I would say to the person who
has a stroke that the good news
00:27:25.09\00:27:31.72
is there is deliverance
at the soon coming of Christ
00:27:31.76\00:27:36.58
and look for it
just like Paul did.
00:27:36.61\00:27:39.75
Thank you for
being with us Dr. Mills.
00:27:39.78\00:27:42.84
You've given suggestions for
those who want to avoid a stroke
00:27:42.88\00:27:46.72
and you've given hope to
those that maybe had a stroke.
00:27:46.76\00:27:49.79
I hope you can come back
on another program and share
00:27:49.82\00:27:52.80
more with us for those
people that maybe had a stroke.
00:27:52.83\00:27:55.78
Thank you for joining us.
00:27:55.81\00:27:57.80
We hope you have
health for lifetime.
00:27:57.84\00:27:59.82