What is a Stroke?
- Also known as a CVA – (Cerebrovascular Accident)
- A stroke occurs when a portion of the brain is damaged because of a blockage of a blood vessel or rupture of a blood vessel in the brain.
- Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States. Nearly 800,000 people have a stroke each year. That equates to about one person every 40 seconds.
- In the U.S., approximately 40 percent of people who die from stroke are male, with 60 percent of deaths occurring in females.
There are two types of Strokes:
• ischemic stroke: is an unexpected obstruction of the blood vessels leading to the brain.
• hemorrhagic stroke: is bleeding into the brain tissue when a blood vessel ruptures.
What are the signs and symptoms of Stroke?
– Depending on which part of the brain is affected signs and symptoms can occur. The most common signs and symptoms are:
• Unevenness in the face or a droop on one side of the face
• Weakness on one side of the body (such as an arm, leg, or both)
• Numbness or strange sensations on one side of the body
• Trouble speaking (speech is slurred; cannot repeat a simple phrase)
• Memory loss
• Changes to vision
• Increased confusion
• If you or your loved one are experiencing these symptoms, they should receive help immediately
Stroke Prevention:
• There are other procedures that can be carried out to decrease the risk of strokes or TIAs.
• Lowering high blood pressure
• Stop smoking
• Lowering cholesterol
• Increase physical activity
• Eating healthy
• Limited Alcohol
• Diabetes – having good control of blood sugar levels.
Treatment after a Stroke:
– The faster you can get to a hospital, the better your chances of recovery. Immediately call 911.
– As ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes have different causes, both require different forms of treatment.
-It is most important to know the type of stroke diagnosed to be able to quickly reduce the damage done to the brain.
-Also due to a certain treatment suitable for one type of stroke may be harmful when treating different type.
Ischemic Stroke Treatments:
• Treatment focuses on restoring an adequate flow of blood to the brain.
• Medication is started to break down the clots and prevent other from forming.
• Aspirin can be given and tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) within 4.5 hours of stroke symptoms starting to breakdown the blood clots.
• Emergency procedures include administering TPA directly into an artery in the brain or using a catheter to physically remove the clot.
• A carotid endarterectomy involves a surgeon opening the carotid artery and removing any plaque that might be blocking it.
• Angioplasty involves a surgeon inflating a small balloon in a narrowed artery via catheter and then inserting a mesh tube called a stent into the opening. This prevents the artery from narrowing again.
Hemorrhagic stroke:
• Hemorrhagic strokes are caused by blood leaking into the brain, so treatment focuses on controlling the bleeding and reducing the pressure on the brain.
• Medications can be given to reduce the pressure in the brain, control overall blood pressure, prevent seizures and prevent sudden constrictions of blood vessels.
• If an individual is taking blood-thinning anticoagulants or an antiplatelet medication like warfarin or clopidogrel, they can be given drugs to counter the effects of the medication or blood transfusions to make up for blood loss.
• Surgery can be used to repair any problems with blood vessels that have led or could lead to hemorrhagic strokes. Surgeons can place small clamps at the base of aneurysms or fill them with detachable coils to stop blood flow and prevent rupture.
• If the hemorrhage is caused by arteriovenous malformations (AVMs)- which is unusual correlation between arteries and veins normally in the spine or brain.
• Surgery can also be used to remove them if they are not too big and not too deep in the brain. AVMs are tangled connections between arteries and veins that are weaker and burst more easily than other normal blood vessels.
References:
Billinger, Sandra. A., Arena, Ross., Bernhardt, Janice., Eng, Janice. J., Franklin, Barry. A., Johnson, Cheryl Mortag., MacKay- Lyons, Marilyn., Macko, Richard. F., Mead, Gillian. E., Roth, Elliot. J., Shaughnessy, Marianne. and Tang, Ada. (2014, January 15). Physical Activity and Exercise Recommendations for Stroke Survivors. A statement for Healthcare Professionals from the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association. Retrieved from https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/STR.0000000000000022.
Carr, Janet. H. and Shepherd, Roberta. B. (2011, May 18). Enhancing Physical Activity and Brain Reorganization after Stroke. Retrieved from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/nri/2011/515938/abs/.
Gallanagh, Siobhan., Quinn, Terry. J., Alexander, Jen., Walters, Matthew. R. (2011, August 4). Physical Activity in the Prevention and Treatment of Stroke. Retrieved from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2011/953818/.
Jin, Jill. (2014, April 23/30). Warning Signs of a Stroke. JAMA Patient Page. Retrieved from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1861804.
McInstosh, James. (2017, November 23). Everything you Need to Know about Stroke. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/7624.php#treatment.
By: Breanna Hill