One of the reasons why people take selfies is that doing so can boost their self-esteem and make them feel good but there also appears to be another benefit of being able to take your own pictures and videos. In a case of one Canadian woman, a particular video she took of herself has helped doctors better assess and treat her medical condition.
In April, Stacey Yepes, from Thornhill, Ontario, consulted doctors about the sudden numbness and slurring of speech that she experienced while watching TV. Results of tests showed there was nothing physically wrong with her so the doctors said that the symptoms were likely caused by stress and Yepes was advised to relax.
Yepes, who is 49-years old and works as a legal secretary, however, suspected that there really was something wrong with her. When she experienced the same symptoms again while driving her car, she took her phone and began taking videos of herself to document what's happening during the attack.
The video, which was over one minute long, showed the left side of Yepes' face drooping and her slurring speech. Yepes also said in the video that her tongue feels numb and she had difficulty performing simple tasks such as touching her nose.
Doctors who have seen the video were able to diagnose Yepes of what they think was a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or mini stroke. Doctors at the Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto referred Yepes to Toronto Western Hospital where it was confirmed that she indeed had TIA.
TIA often serves as a warning as about a third of the people who had mini stroke experience a more serious stroke within the year. Although stroke is often associated with older people, it can affect anyone particularly now that risk factors such as high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol levels are prevalent.
Dr. Cheryl Jaigobin, a stroke neurologist from the Toronto Western Hospital's Krembil Neuroscience Center, said that the mini stroke Yepes experienced was caused by a buildup of plaque in her arteries, a condition known as atherosclerosis.
"We've never had a patient do this before," Jaigobin said. "When we saw Stacey's videotape, we were all touched by it and absolutely convinced that her deficits were clearly because of a mini stroke."
Following her diagnosis, Yepes has made changes to her lifestyle exercising every day and adopting a healthy diet. She is also taking blood-thinning and cholesterol-lowering drugs and is participating in a stroke rehabilitation program.
