Essay on Understanding Stroke

     Each year alone about 150,000 people in America die from a stroke or are seriously disabled. Stroke is among the top five causes of death. It generally happens very suddenly and it can take up to five to seven days to completely effect the patient. Depending on how many of the brain cells die during the stroke, and

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.

Strokes are commonly associated with old age, symptoms and awareness are often unnoticed in young adults due to ambiguity about strokes.

The health issue that this artifact discusses is the significance of knowing and recognizing the warning signs of a stroke. The American Heart Association has made it their mission to provide unlimited health information and research in the hopes of eliminating cardiovascular diseases as well as helping society in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. “Stroke is the number 5 cause of death and a leading cause of

7,000 strokes occur in Americans every year. For Hispanics it is the third leading cause of death. This article emphasizes the importance of knowing the symptoms of the stroke to reduce the chances of its occurrences. Prevention tips include: stop smoking, eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and work to control high blood pressure and manage diabetes. (Strokes Affect Thousands of Hispanics Each Year - Learn To Recognize Symptoms: Brandon Alvarez Montgomery

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).

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

Strokes are caused by pathophysiological changes. The two major mechanisms of stroke consist of ischemia and haemorrhage. Ischemia is when there is no oxygen or not, merely enough oxygen to fuel the tissue level in the body. Haemorrhage in the brain, causing strokes can be due to non-traumatic intracerebral haemorrhage (Shah, MD, n.d.) (see appendix 1). This essay will further discuss the implications of strokes on a cellular, organ and system level. Explain the clinical presentation of the signs and symptoms of strokes and how the condition will be managed by a paramedic.

The objective of the present study was to assess the extent of stroke knowledge, specifically regarding the risk factors and warning signs of stroke. Thus, it is important to be well understood about stroke, the risk factors and the warning signs. Furthermore, this review will discuss in details about the two risk factors, stress and obesity that are significant among the studied population. This is followed by the review on the state of stroke knowledge and its importance from the previous studies among varied populations.

Often times, doctors will typically call a stroke a “brain attack” because the events that transpire resemble those that occur during a heart attack (Wang and Aamodt, 2010). Blood supplies a constant source of oxygen to the brain. However, a stroke occurs when that blood supply to any given part of the brain is suddenly ceased. If the blood supply to the brain is suddenly interrupted this leads to the deprivation of oxygen and glucose to that area. The brain cells that are prevented from acquiring these substances, especially oxygen, will be quickly killed off. Strokes can be categorized into two classes: Ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes (Lindley, 2008).

Strokes are the fifth leading cause of deaths in America. They are also one of the leading causes of disabilities in adults. There are many factors, such as atrial fibrillation and lifestyle factors, which could lead to a potential stroke. There is the atrial fibrillation (shortened to “AFib”) and stroke connection. AFib is the constant and irregular beating of the two atria valves of the heart. The irregular heartbeats can cause blood to form clots in the heart and travel towards the brain. There are other types of risk factors that can lead to strokes, which are medical risk factors, lifestyle risk factors, and uncontrollable risk factors. Some examples of medical risk factors include high blood pressure, circulation problems, high cholesterol,

These co-morbidities include, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and taking certain medications. (Ostwald, Sharon K., et al., 2006). These stroke-related co-morbidities are important to recognize and understand before a stroke occurs. People must learn of and accept conditions they have and be aware of the complications, such as a stroke, that can occur. These co-morbidities are also some of the main causes of strokes. When someone experiences a stroke and survives, it is often difficult to recover, and many complications and risk factors can occur as a result. A study done by a group of registered nurses discussed the difference medical complications stroke survivors can experience. They stated:

Stroke previously known as Cerebrovascular accident is well-defined as ‘an abrupt cessation of cerebral circulation in one or more of the blood vessels distributing the brain. Due to the interruption or diminish of oxygen supply causes serious damage or necrosis in the brain tissues (Jauch, Kissella & Stettler, 2005). There is a presence of one or more symptoms such as weakness or numbness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg, difficulty speaking or swallowing, dizziness, loss of balance, loss of vision, sudden blurring or decreased vision in one or both eyes and headache. Stoke is categorised into two types, Ischaemic and haemorrhagic

A cerebrovascular accident more commonly known as a stroke or brain attack is the term used to describe the sudden death of brain cells in a localized area due to inadequate blood flow. In order to woke the brain needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients. This supply is carried to the brain

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)