Comprehensive stroke care in the Seacoast Region
With our help, you can get critical neurological care when it's needed most.
In the event of a stroke, our team at Portsmouth Regional Hospital is prepared to address your condition in a time-sensitive manner. We are thorough and compassionate in our approach, giving you access to the best possible treatment.
Expert advice, available 24/7
Free health-related information is just a phone call away. Our nurses help you understand your symptoms, treatment options and procedures. They will also help you find a provider or specialist and schedule an appointment.
Free health-related information is just a phone call away. Our nurses help you understand your symptoms, treatment options and procedures. They will also help you find a provider or specialist and schedule an appointment.
Signs of a stroke
Getting medical attention within three hours after stroke warning signs can be vital to your well-being. A stroke may present multiple symptoms, including:
- Arm weakness
- Balance loss
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty speaking
- Facial droop
Advanced stroke care
Our interventional neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists and rehabilitation specialists offer medical, endovascular and surgical stroke support. We treat you in one place, enabling us to seamlessly process your test results and coordinate follow-up care.
Risk factors for stroke
Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Fortunately, our hospital is one of only two facilities in New Hampshire — and the only one in the Seacoast Region — to be recognized by the Joint Commission as a comprehensive stroke center for our collective expertise, best practices and positive outcomes.
There are manageable lifestyle behaviors that can increase your risk of stroke. Knowing what they are — and changing them — can help improve your brain health and reduce the impact of uncontrollable factors, such as age, gender, genetics and previous stroke or heart attack incidents.
Common risk factors for stroke include:
- Activity and exercise — Being inactive or overweight, or both, can boost your stroke risk.
- Diabetes — Diabetes can increase stroke-related risk factors, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and excess weight.
- Diet and nutrition — A high-fat diet can raise your cholesterol level. Too much bad cholesterol may clog the arteries that feed blood to your heart and brain.
- High blood pressure — Your blood pressure can be managed through a well-balanced diet and exercise, as well as by maintaining a healthy weight, consuming moderate amounts of alcohol and using medications appropriately.
- Smoking — Nicotine and carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke can damage the heart and weaken your blood vessels.
Your stroke risk can also be increased because of existing cardiovascular conditions, such as:
- Atrial fibrillation (AFib)
- Carotid artery disease
- Peripheral artery disease
Specialized stroke treatment
As soon as we know you’ve had a stroke, or are suspected of having one, we will issue a stroke alert. This triggers our rapid diagnosis and treatment process within your first three post-stroke hours, helping to streamline our efforts across all services.
We are equipped to provide a wide range of medical, surgical and rehabilitation services if you’ve experienced:
- Hemorrhagic stroke — A stroke that can cause bleeding in the brain because of a ruptured cerebral artery.
- Ischemic stroke — A stroke that can lead to blood loss to the brain because of a clot-blocked artery.
- Transient ischemic attack (TIA) — A stroke that can begin because of a temporary blood clot but may resolve without noticeable symptoms.
If you have a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), or bleeding in the space around the brain, we are the only area hospital to perform emergent coiling and endovascular or mechanical thrombectomy procedures.
Hemorrhagic stroke treatment
A brain aneurysm that ruptures, or bursts, can lead to a hemorrhagic stroke.
Early detection and intervention are key to overcoming a hemorrhagic stroke. Our team of specialists is trained to identify your condition and treat it through:
- Coil embolization — We access your artery through a catheter, placing coils to clot an aneurysm and stop it from growing.
- Pipeline flow diversion — This procedure involves inserting a pipeline stent to construct a new artery wall that blood can't fill.
- Screening — If you have a family history of brain aneurysms, we can use medical imaging technology to view the cerebral arteries.
Ischemic stroke treatment
We can help reduce the potential impact of an existing blood clot by removing it through:
- Carotid and vertebral artery stenting — This nonsurgical procedure uses stents to open arteries that are too narrow.
- Mechanical thrombectomy — Under guidance from our neuroradiologists, our neurosurgeons can use a stent retriever to grab the clot and remove it with special suction tubes. This procedure works best within six hours of your first stroke symptom.
- Tenecteplase (TNK) — Administered intravenously, this medication can help dissolve the clot and restore blood flow to the brain. If you're an adult, TNK is typically given within four and a half hours of your initial symptoms.
Stroke rehabilitation services
Our involvement with your stroke care doesn’t stop with medication or a procedure. Your next step to recovery may be returning home, receiving follow-up care at an inpatient rehabilitation facility or participating in our outpatient neuro day rehabilitation program.
Through our program, we can provide the physical, occupational and speech-language therapy you may need. Our goal is to recapture your balance, endurance, life skills and independence as much as possible.