Informative Speech On Stroke

Strokes are the 5th leading cause of death in the US, with one person dying every 4 minutes as a result. For African Americans, stoke is the 3rd leading cause of death.(http://www.cdc.gov/stroke/facts.htm) It is estimated that About 795,000 people have a stroke each year; about one every 40 seconds - there are many medical conditions that can cause a stroke and it is estimated that 8 out of 10 strokes can be prevented. However, there are some things that cannot be controlled when you are predisposed to

A stroke is the sudden death of brain cells in a localized area due to inadequate blood

Stroke is seen as a major health concern and this is due to the fact that every year, as many as 110,000 individuals suffers from strokes making it a key issue. (NHS 2014)

There are several different types of stroke and it does not affect everyone the same. According to Mayo

Stroke is like a heart attack, but instead the problem is with the brain not the heart. Stroke happens when the blood that is suppose to go to the brain is blocked or reduced. When the blood supply to the brain is blocked or reduced, the brain doesn’t get enough oxygen or nutrients, which causes brain cells to die. It can also be because of smoking. Smoking creates blood clots in the artery. Stroke is the top 5 disease that caused death in the US, but for black people stroke is the top 3 disease that caused death. Stroke commonly occurs to people over the age of 65. Even though the risk of having a stroke is high over the age of 65, stroke can occur at any age. Approximately 15 million people suffer from stroke each year. 5 million of these

Since strokes are frequently related with old age, symptoms in young adults may be disregarded not only personally, but by doctors as well.

Strokes are caused by a block in the blood supply to the brain which causes a decrease in oxygen and delivery of other important supplies which facilitate proper functioning. Fifteen million cases are reported worldwide annually, although not all of these cases are mortalities, the large prevalence of strokes ranks it as the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. (Figueroa) Because of the time sensitivity associated with the lack of resources to the brain, strokes are considered a medical emergency and early recognition of symptoms can help decrease the amount of damage caused . Although strokes do not always cause death, strokes most often leave the individual with some physical and cognitive impairment.

The risk factors for stroke can be classified into non-modifiable and modifiable. Non-modifiable risk factors include age, family history, prior stroke, gender, and race. Whereas modifiable risk factors are hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, dyslipidemia, cigarette smoking, obesity, valvular heart disease, alcohol abuse, and physical inactivity (Basharat et al., 2012).

A stroke can be brought on by many different factors like age, gender and family history – all of which one cannot control. Others are lifestyle factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity or being over weight, poor diet, lack of exercise and drinking too much alcohol (stroke foundation Australia). Currently there is no universally accepted treatment (Ward, 2005).

A stroke is a type of cardiovascular disease that affects the cerebral arteries, those blood vessels that carry blood to the brain. A stroke occurs when one of those blood vessels in the brain is obstructed or ruptures flooding the brain with blood. Depriving blood and oxygen to the brain results in those immediate cells death, causing the brain not to function properly. Once parts of the brain stop functioning, it can directly affect the areas of the body controlled (1).

     The most common causes of strokes are thrombosis. This is when a clot forms in one of the arteries, mostly in the carotid in the neck and the vertebral artery. The blood is thick and moves very slowly through the artery. The thrombus will form on the damaged area of the artery wall and will cut off the flow of blood to the brain. The area of the artery that is damaged is cause by arteriosclerosis. This form of

Recently, there has been a surge in reports of TIAs in rare instances such as healthy, young women. With lack of full understanding as to the reasoning behind this, research found that strokes are not a geriatric disease as once believed (stroke association.org). Accordingly, Steven J. Kittner, M.D., director of the Maryland Stroke Center at the University Of Maryland School Of Medicine in Baltimore declares that strokes can affect anyone at any age (2004). Furthermore, he states that although there are common risk factors, some of the more hidden ones are the most dangerous, especially for women under 55 (Kittner, 2004). He claims, matching other reports that these hidden risk factors leading to increased strokes include: migraines, oral contraceptives,

Stroke is a serious medical condition that affects people of all ages specifically older adults.

What is a stroke and how is it related to the aging brain? A stroke happens when the blood supply to your brain is interrupted or it is reduced, depriving the brain tissues of oxygen and food (Bendheim, P.E. (2009). Within minutes of a stroke brain cells begin to die. Early action can minimize brain damage and potential complications. A stroke can cause temporary or permanent disabilities, depending on how long the brain suffers the lack of blood flow (Perlmutter, David. (2004). Some complications after a stroke are; paralyzation (loss of muscle movement), memory loss, and trouble talking. Paralyzation is due to the lack of blood flow to the brain, a patient can lose movement in one side of the body. Stroke can damage too many parts of the brain, and it can start an early brain aging. A stroke can cause a patient to loss control over the way muscles in the mouth move, have difficult talking and eating (Bendheim, P.E. (2009). But one can try to prevent a stroke by taking care of their high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking.

Did you know that 80% of strokes are preventable, and it also causes the double of deaths by breast cancer in American women? Stroke is one of the most serious diseases, leading to deaths and severe morbidities around the world. The causes of stroke are closely related to lifestyle and are keys to reduce the incidence of this disease that causes abrupt deaths or worsens the quality of life. Jahan (2012) reminds the risk factors that increase the chances to have a stroke, the signs and symptoms, the treatment for this disease and how to prevent stroke. Certainly, the major risk factors mentioned by Jahan could be managed, and then it would be possible to prevent this severe disease and its terrible consequences. Among those risk factors, three are more harmful: hypertension, smoking and atherosclerosis.