Does a stroke affect the heart?

Q. Does a stroke affect the heart? A. Not directly. The heart uses blood vessels just like the brain, but some heart conditions can cause small clots to form possibly traveling to the brain. A stroke or “Brain Attack” is a type of vascular disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. A stroke occurs when an artery that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain bursts or (more commonly) becomes blocked by a clot. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the oxygen and nutrients it needs, so it starts to die.

Critical Care Nurse Specialist

What can I do about my seasonal allergies?

Q.  I have seasonal allergies; what do I need to avoid or do?

A seasonal allergy is an allergic reaction to a trigger that is typically only present for part of the year, such as spring or fall.  This type of allergy refers to a pollen allergy, such as trees, weeds, and grasses.  Perennial allergies, on the other hand, are usually present year-round, and include allergens such as pet dander and house dust mites.

Adult Geriatrics of Wooster, Wooster Community Hospital

Weigh Your Health



Wooster Family Medicine

Joint Care



Hypothermia in the Winter

Hypothermia occurs when the body temperature is abnormally low; causing the body to lose heat faster that it can be produced.  This can occur quickly or over time through exposure.  For example, someone who is outside when the temperature is extremely low can be affected by hypothermia quickly.  A person who is exposed to cool temperatures for a long period of time or are stranded in cool water can become affected by hypothermia slowly.  Once the body temperature gets too low, vital organs including the brain become affected, making the person unable to think clearly.

Wooster Family Medicine

Diabetic Care

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a disease in which the body cannot regulate the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood. Glucose is necessary in order to have the energy to perform daily activities, but too much glucose causes complications. The blood glucose level is regulated by a hormone called insulin. People with diabetes either do not produce enough insulin (Type 1 diabetes) or cannot use insulin properly (Type 2 diabetes).

Diabetes-related complications include:

Wooster Endocrinology

Dementia Defined

Dementia is described as a loss of mental function, thinking, memory, and reasoning that interferes with a person’s daily life.  Dementia is not a disease in and of itself but rather a group of symptoms and depending on the cause can sometimes be cured.  Dementia is usually linked to diseases that cause degeneration or loss of nerve cells in the brain or disease of blood vessels.

Adult Geriatrics of Wooster


Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a serious lung disease that over time makes it hard to breathe. More than 12 million Americans have been diagnosed with COPD, and another 12 million likely have the disease and don’t even know it yet, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

There are four things everyone needs to know about COPD:

1. Be aware of the risk factors.

You could be at risk for COPD if you-

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Specialist

Blood Flow Screening

A blood flow screening is an inexpensive test that anyone can request without a doctor’s order.  A blood flow screening can identify potential risk factors associated with the onset of a stroke, circulation to the legs, and abdominal aortic aneurysm.  With the Blood Flow Screening’s brief ultrasound of the carotid arteries in the neck and of the abdomen, and a leg circulation screening, you can discover potential risks in several key areas of your body before your health has been jeopardized.

The blood flow screening identifies:

Autoimmune Disorders

The immune system is our body’s protection against illness such as infections and other germs.  A flaw in the structure of these special cells can cause the body to make antibodies that attack the normal cells in parts of the body – resulting in an autoimmune disorder.  The part of the body affected depends on the type of autoimmune disorder.

Internal Medicine of Wooster