Is it a stroke? Richard's story

Richard Norvold's first clue that something was wrong was a persistent swishing noise in his left ear. An active 73-year-old who works six days a week at his own business, Norvold was told it was probably nothing to worry about.

Then last September, Norvold and his wife, Ruth, spent a weekend in the Twin Cities visiting their daughter and her family. During the drive home on Sunday, he noticed his reaction time seemed slow.

The next day, he realized his left heel was dragging. "That's when we went to the emergency room in Bemidji," he says.

Doctors confirmed that he had a mini-stroke (transient ischemic attack), but could not pinpoint the cause. By Wednesday, Norvold was at Abbott Northwestern Hospital for further tests.

Finding and treating the cause

Most strokes result from blockages in the neck's carotid arteries or in smaller vessels within the brain. In less than 5 percent of cases the blockage occurs in one of the other arteries that supply blood to the brain.

The blockage that caused Norvold's mini-stroke was found in an unusual location – an artery behind his left ear. Fortunately, the blockage could be treated. A neuroradiologist performed an angioplasty and inserted a stent to keep Norvold's artery open.

Richard Shronts, MD, neurologist and co-medical director of Abbott Northwestern's Stroke Program, says that understanding why a stroke occurred is critical to determining the best treatment and preventing subsequent strokes. Quick intervention also results in better outcomes.

Don't wait

"If you think you may be having a stroke, don't wait to see if gets better. Get to an emergency room," says Shronts.

Clot-busting medications work best if given within the first three to six hours after the stroke begins.

Looking back and moving forward

Norvold now believes that his blocked artery had been affecting him for some time. Writing had become more difficult and "it seemed like I was having more trouble with memory and dealing with stress," he says.

After his angioplasty, the first thing Norvold noticed was that the swishing sound was gone. He was back to work in less than a week and found that his other problems also quickly improved.

"We're just thankful that the doctors at Abbott Northwestern found the problem and were able to treat it right away," says Ruth Norvold.

Related Links

Abbott Northwestern Hospital: Minneapolis Neuroscience Institute

Cardiovascular disease specialists

The stroke/heart disease connection

Too many ignore signs of mini-stroke

Transient ischemic attack (TIA)

First published: 05/17/2006
Last updated: 05/17/2006

Reviewed by: Joan Brandl, neuroscience clinic manager, Minneapolis Neuroscience Institute; Paul Kleeberg, MD, medical director, Allina.com; Richard Shronts, MD, neurologist, co-medical director, Stroke Program at Abbott Northwestern Hospital