Stroke

Every 45 seconds, someone in America has a stroke. Every 3.1 minutes, someone dies of one. Stroke killed over 150,000 people in the United States in 2007 and is the third leading cause of death, ranking behind diseases of the heart and all forms of cancer (www.cdc.gov, 2007). A stroke can happen to anyone, regardless of age, sex, or race. In fact, about 600,000 people have strokes every year.

It is important to recognize the warning signs of a stroke in order to prevent death. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel bringing oxygen and nutrients to the brain bursts or is clogged by a blood clot or some other particle. Because of this rupture or blockage, part of the brain doesn't get the blood flow it needs. Deprived of oxygen, nerve cells in the affected area of the brain cannot function and die within minutes (http://www.idph.state.il.us, 2008). There are warning signs that can help to determine a stroke; however, these signs may come and then disappear. Therefore, it is important to call 911 right away if you notice sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding, sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of coordination, or severe headache with no cause (American Heart Association, 2008). Not all warning signs occur in every stroke. Any of these symptoms show an underlying medical condition that needs treatment immediately.

There are two types of strokes. The first is called ischemic stroke which is caused by a blockage that doesn’t allow blood flow to the brain. A hemorrhagic stroke happens when a blood vessel burst. One of the most common causes is the blockage of the thrombus by a clot. Clots form from deposits that stick out of the aerial wall and sometimes clots can wonder through the bloodstream and become lodged in the cerebral arteries. In a hemorrhagic stroke the ruptured artery floods the surrounding tissues. The tissues that depend on the supply are denied the blood they need and stop functioning. The American Stroke Association has identified several factors that increase the risk of stroke. The more risk factors a person has, the greater the chance that he or she will have a stroke. Some of these you cannot control, such as increasing age, family health history, race, gender and prior stroke (www.idph.state.il.us, 2008). Nevertheless, you can change or treat other risk factors to lower your risk.

Treatment for an Ischemic stroke can consist of I.V intravenous clot busting drugs, but it must be given before the third hour of onset of the stroke. An Inter-arterial catheter may be used to administer clot busting drug directly on site. The catheter is guided through an artery in the groin area, through the blood stream up to the site of the clot in the brain. The treatment for a hemorrhagic stroke can be observation where nothing is done (surgery), but the patient is under a watchful eye. The other treatment for a hemorrhagic stroke is surgery, where the skull is opened up and the neurosurgeon removes the clot.

As with other heart related diseases, prevention is as simple as creating a healthy lifestyle. This includes maintaining a healthy weight with diet and exercise, keeping use of alcohol moderate, and not smoking. Also, it is important to control and treat high blood pressure,

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