Informative Speech On Stroke

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

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is blocked. The tissue does not get enough of oxygen and nutrients within minutes, the brain cells begin to die. A stroke is a medical emergency, and prompt treatment is crucial. The good news is a stroke can be treatable and is more preventable. More people live longer now than in the past years. Stroke is known as the silent killer. Many people ignore the symptoms and cause more damage to their body. People with stroke have trouble speaking and understanding, paralysis or numbness of the face arm or leg. If you ever encounter anyone with these systems, please call 911 imminently for help.

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.

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)

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).

     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

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 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).

Effects - Every stroke is different, and each person that is affected by a stroke will suffer from different problems and have different needs. The way in which you are affected depends on where in the brain the stroke occurs and how big it is. A stroke on the right side of the brain generally causes problems to the left side of the body, and a stroke on the left side of the brain causes problems on the right. The brain is dived into several different areas which control different functions, including movement of the body, language, the way in which you think and senses (touch, sight, smell). Due to different arteries supplying blood to different areas of the brain, where abouts the brain is damaged determines which function is affected. Some strokes occur at the base of the brain which generally cause problems with breathing, moving and eating. These factors impact the effect of a stroke and the recovery after; Type of stroke, which area of the brain is damaged, how much tissue is permanently damaged and the person’s health and level of activity before a

All races, ethnicity, and sex are susceptible to strokes. African Americans are at greater risk for stroke. Women are more likely to have a stroke compared to men (WebMd,

In many cases, strokes can be diagnosed, prevented and treatable. Symptoms of a stroke can occur quickly and may cause: sudden numbness, tingling, or weakness, or paralysis in your face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of your body. Sudden: vision changes, trouble speaking (slurred speech), confusion or trouble understanding simple statements, problems with walking or balance, severe headache. It's recommended to call a doctor or 911 even if these symptoms last for a short amount of time because a transient ischemic attack, or mini stroke may have occurred. The transient ischemic attack may be a precursor to a stroke occurring soon. Catching these symptoms can dramatically increase chances of prevention additional damage to the body (2).

Stroke warning signs are an important component in educating the community. Stroke warning signs include sudden paralysis, weakness or numbness in the face, arm, or leg; sudden blurred or decreased vision in one or both eyes; difficulty speaking or understanding simple statements; dizziness; loss of balance or loss of coordination; and sudden intense headache (National Stroke Association, 2010). Decreasing the time from stroke onset to hospital presentation depends on the stroke knowledge of the community. The act F.A.S.T. (Face, Arms, Speech, and Time) campaign promoted by the National Stroke Association is a great way to educate the public on what to do if someone is having a stroke. The acronym prompts people to look for signs such as a droopy face, numbness or weakness on one

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.