What Is A Stroke?

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.

A stroke is also called a cerebrovascular accident. According to the Mississippi State Department of Health, “A stroke is sometimes called a brain attack (pg. 4).” A stroke occurs when the brain isn’t receiving enough oxygen or a lack of blood supply. According to the American Heart Association, about 795,000 people have a stroke every year. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of adult disability.

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).

There are three types of strokes that cause changes to the brain: Hemorrhagic stroke,Intracerebral hemorrhage and Transient ischemic attack (TIA). Ischemic stroke is the most common form of stroke, accounting for around 87% of strokes.

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

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).

Right side hemisphere strokes effects likely to be seen are paralysis on left side of the body, weak vision, and problems distinguishing basics e.g. tying shoes, buttoning shirts, up, down, left or right and also you can have short term memory. Brain Stem Strokes which are the most uncommon strokes that can happen are at the base of the brain and right above our spinal cord. Some effects after this stroke can give you problems in breathing or heart functions, unbalanced body temperature and body coordination, weakness or paralysis of both arms and legs, difficulty in chewing, swallowing, speaking and poor vision. Any type of stroke whether it is a Brain Stem Stroke or a Ischemic Stroke can be life changing but, after it depends on the progress at the recovery stage which can truly identify the damage and how serious it is. Some risk factors of stroke that you CANNOT change are the increase in your age, gender, family history, ethnicity and the Transient Ischemic Attack (chances of another stroke after a previous stroke). Some treatments that are available to patients with strokes are stroke medications, surgeries and few non surgical procedures. Stroke medications are drugs prescribed to be taken by a administrator some of them are Tissue Plasmogen Activator TPA (given within 3 hours of a stroke caused by a blood clot), clot busters, blood thinners

1. Every 40 seconds someone in the United States has a stroke (National Stroke Association, 2014). Some symptoms related with a stroke are headache, blurred vision, trouble speaking, confusion, dizziness and numbness on one side of body. These symptoms are very important to know. Due to how common strokes are it's good to know the warning signs. For every person that dies from stroke, more than 5 times that many will survive, and for them the physical damage it causes can be enormous (National Stroke Association, 2014). Most people who have a stroke are depressed after it's all said and done. They may be paralyzed on one side, have a speech impairment or worse. When you are used to living a certain way and that suddenly changes it can be hard for people to deal with.

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

Depending on the most likely cause of your stroke, your doctor may advise specific medication or consider surgery to remove fatty deposits in your carotid artery.

Stroke: A stroke involves loss of brain functions caused by a loss of blood circulation to areas of the brain.

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.

A 67 years old retired executive named Robert enjoys spending most of his time in his garden. One-day, while he's out in his garden, are working his right hand begins to feel numb, and he's unable to speak. So he goes to his wife, and she calls for an emergency to arrive and help her husband Robert. The ambulance comes and takes Robert to the hospital. Robert is admitted to the hospital with Cerebrovascular Accident, which is a stroke in medical terminology. What happens is that blood to the brain causes rupture of an artery to the brain. (www.ncbi.nlm.nig.gov). Robert is diagnosed with an ischemic stroke and what happens is that the brain becomes blocked of blood flow. The symptoms in ischemic stroke are numbness, weakness

A stroke caused by a blocked artery by a blood clot or bursting of a blood vessel because of uncontrolled high blood pressure. There are main three types of the stroke. An ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks one of the arteries which supply blood to brain. A clot may be caused by fatty deposits (plaque) that build up in arteries and cause reduced blood flow (atherosclerosis) or other artery conditions. (mayo clinic). About 89%, strokes are ischemic strokes. Ischemic stroke includes thrombotic stroke. A thrombotic stroke occurs when a thrombus stuck in one of the arteries that supply blood to the brain. A clot build-up of fatty deposits in arteries. Another type of stroke is called the hemorrhagic stroke. This stroke occurs when a blood vessel leaks or ruptures in the brain. A bold vessel leaks or ruptures from many conditions like uncontrolled high blood pressure or overtreatment with anticoagulants and the weak spot in blood vessel walls. (mayo). Some people experience a mini-stroke it is known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA). A temporary decrease or clot stuck in a vessel in our brain causes TIA. It happens less than five minutes. This stroke does not have any symptom, because the blockage is