What is a Stroke
By: Paul FryattTotal Views: 85, Word Count: 618,
Let us know what is a stroke? A stroke is basically a sensitive medical emergency. It is also called brain attack. Stroke is a disease of the circulatory system. This is caused by the rupture or the blockage of an artery.
Important Aspects of Stroke
When we think of what is a stroke, it is very important to know the following important aspects regarding this life threatening disease.
- In middle aged and older women, 70% of strokes are caused by a blockage from a blood clot which is called thromboembolic, 15% of cases are because of intracerebral hemorrhage, and 10% due to subarachnoid hemorrhage.
- When rupture or blockage of artery takes place, this part of the brain is not able to get oxygen. This leads to permanent brain damage, disability or in some cases death.
- When any part of the brain lacks oxygen, this results into neurological symptoms such as loss of vision in one eye, confusion, vertigo, inability to speak, numbness or weakness of one side of the body, etc. All these symptoms require immediate treatment by emergency room doctors.
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
- Transient Ischemic Attack is a type of stroke that results when part of the brain is not getting sufficient quantity of oxygen for a short period of time. This causes symptoms of stroke for sometimes and then drop.
- Symptoms of this kind of stroke are focal. It consists of weakness and numbness. Symptoms can last up to 24 hours.
- National Stroke Association of US gives this as a warning sign and suggested to take it as a medical emergency.
- Keep in mind that only a doctor can make decision whether a person is having a stroke, migraine episode or a TIA.
Who gets a Stroke?
Anyone can suffer from this disorder. Following are some risk factors that can cause stroke:
· Over age 55
· Male
· African American, Asian/Pacific Islander or Hispanic
· A family history of stroke
· High blood pressure
· High cholesterol
· Smoking cigarettes
· Diabetes
· Obesity and overweight
· Cardiovascular disease
· Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) patients
· Patients with high levels of homocysteine in blood
· Patients using birth control or other hormone therapy
· Cocaine use
· Heavy use of alcohol
Stroke Prevention
- Controlling hypertension is an important way to prevent stroke.
- Framingham study says that after the age of 45, we should always take care of elevations of systolic pressure .So control of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure is proven effective in avoiding stroke.
- In some cases, treatment of cardiac disease is also successful in preventing stroke.
- Taking low to moderate quantity of alcohol always has a protective effect on the stroke.
- Avoiding estrogen therapy is also said to be a preventive measure of stroke
Latest Research on Stroke
Black women have the highest occurrence of stroke than other women. Major studies are taking place for primary prevention of stroke in women. Some of the studies point out the following things:
- The impact of lipid-lowering drugs
- Blood pressure reduction
- Hormone-replacement therapy
- Weight reduction
- Treatment of diabetes
So it is very important to keep in mind what is stroke, so as to take proper precaution regarding this.
About the Author
Paul Fryatt, M.D. has been in this profession from last 24 years. He made great achievements in his profession. He made an initiative to open a Family Allergy Clinic in 1985 to help his patients who were not reacting to traditional allergy treatment programs. Moreover he has explored the treatment to overcome allergy symptoms to reclaim quality of life through his convenient, no-shots therapy.
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