Stroke Article:
A stroke occurs when an artery carrying blood to the brain
gets clogged or bursts disrupting blood supply. The brain,
deprived of oxygen, begins to die. The majority of strokes
result from clogging of arteries; artery bursts account
for less than 20% of strokes.
However, irrespective of the cause strokes are a serious
problem in the US. A stroke is reported every 45 seconds,
and a death by stroke every three minutes. Interestingly,
women are more susceptible to strokes than men. Statistics
show that of every five stroke victims, two are men and
three women.
A stroke that damages the right brain can cause paralysis
in the left side of the body. It can also affect vision or
lead to memory loss. When the stroke damages the left part
of the brain, the results are different. The victim's
right body can be paralyzed. Also, the victim can suffer
speech problems or memory loss.
Strokes also cause severe emotional stress. Several stroke
victims find that they can no longer control emotions.
They also suffer uncomfortable sensation or pain in
extremities like toes and fingers.
Some of the common symptoms of stroke are: sudden numbness
or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side
of the body; sudden problems in speaking; sudden blurring
of vision in one or both eyes; sudden trouble in walking,
dizziness or loss of balance. Anyone who experiences these
symptoms must immediately seek medical help.
The strokes are of two kinds. These are: ischemic strokes
that result from the clogging of arteries and hemorrhagic
strokes that are caused by the bursting of arteries in the
brain. The hemorrhagic stroke requires surgical
intervention because the blood flows out of the ruptured
artery and starts exercising pressure on the brain. The
ischemic stroke is treated by removing or dissolving clots.
There are three ways to treat stroke. The first is
preventive. It involves proper diagnosis of ailments
like blood clotting, hypertension, diabetes, and taking
regular medication to prevent stroke. The second is
regulatory, that is therapy that tries to reduce damage
while an individual is hit by a stroke. The third is based
on rehabilitation. It is aimed to assist the patient
recover from the affects of a stroke.
The difficulty with stroke is that it can recur. One in
every four patients has a stroke within 5 years of the
first one. This makes post-stroke care even more important.
Also, strokes that recur are more dangerous, and cause more damage.
The patient needs to be especially careful of minor attacks
of stroke. These are called Transient Ischemic Attacks or
TIA. They are like warning signals, and result from
temporary clotting in the arteries. They don't cause
serious damage but give the patient enough reason to be
more careful.
Three kinds of tests are conducted to check the condition
of the brain. These are: imaging tests that produce a
picture of the brain; electrical tests that record the
electrical impulses of the brain; and blood flow tests
that show changes in blood flow to the brain. All these
tests are painless, and very useful in making a diagnosis.
A good place to collect information about stroke is the
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
(www.ninds.nih.gov). Another useful site is that of
National Stroke Association (www.stroke.org).
