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Causes And Symptoms Of Cerebrovascular Accident

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Jan, a 72-year-old woman has suffered a cerebrovascular accident. She Lives on her own with her three cats in a second-floor apartment. She is worried about how she will care for them as she recovers from her stroke. Following is information about her condition. What is a cerebrovascular accident? What are the signs and symptoms? What are the pathogenies of the condition? What are the body changes after the CVA? Economic impact cardiovascular disease causes.

Cerebrovascular Accident (stroke)

Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) is a cardiovascular disease more commonly known as a stroke. It is a blockage from either a thrombosis or an embolism or a hemorrhage in the vessels of the brain. Most strokes are caused by a small particle from a …show more content…

There also may be a loss of balance and coordination resulting in an unsteady gait when attempting to ambulate.
If there are any signs of a stroke, remember the acronym “FAST”. Face: does the face droop on one side when the person is asked to smile? Arms: Is the affected person able to lift their arms? And if so, does one or both drop downwards more than the other? Speech: When asked to repeat a phrase, is the speech able to be understood without any slurring, hesitation, or is the person unable to verbally respond at all? Time: Time is crucial to treatment of a stroke. If any or all of these signs are present, the person witnessing the event should call 911 immediately (Staff, Stroke, Symptoms and Causes, 2017).

Pathogenesis of Cerebrovascular Accidents

There are many factors that can lead to the development of a cerebrovascular accident. Factors that contribute to the development of a stroke are hypertension, dysrhythmias, heart disease, diabetes, gout, postural hypotension, cardiac hypertrophy, high cholesterol levels, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and a diet high in cholesterol and unhealthy fat (Med-help, 2009). The most common type of CVA is an ischemic stroke. Ischemic strokes account for 85% of cerebrovascular accidents (Staff, Stroke, Symptoms and Causes, 2017). There are two types of ischemic strokes, thrombotic and embolic. A thrombotic stroke is when a blood clot forms in an artery of the brain.

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