Understanding Stroke!
Filed under: Health and Fitness
There are many thousands of people around the world who have to deal with the effects of a stroke each day. This will be something that is very difficult to deal with, but with help and an understanding of the symptoms of stroke, they will get through it. Stroke is a disease which affects the blood vessels and the supply of blood to the brain.
A stroke usually takes place when a blood vessel which brings oxygen and nutrients to the brain ruptures or is clogged by a blood clot. This prevents the essential blood and oxygen getting to the brain. This is very dangerous, and is also a very frightening time for the sufferer. Not only is this frightening for the person who is having the stroke, it is also frightening and stressful for those around at the time.
When there is not enough oxygen reaching the nerve cells of the brain that part of the brain will cease to work.. This will cause the part of the body which this part of the brain controls to stop working also. This is very hard for the sufferer to deal with, especially after a severe stroke has occurred. Stroke can cause permanent damage to brain cells, these damaged cells cannot be replaced.
There are two types of stroke. One is the Ischemic stroke which is caused by a blockage of the blood vessels. The other is called a Hemorrhagic stroke, this type of stroke is caused by bleeding. Bleeding strokes usually have a much higher death rate than those caused by clots.
It is estimated that around 83 percent of stroke cases are Ischemic stroke.
Ischemic strokes are caused by an obstruction in a blood vessel which supplies blood to the brain. The cause of this type of obstruction is the build up of fatty deposits in the walls of the blood vessel. This condition is called atherosclerosis. The fatty deposits I mention here cause two types of obstruction:
Cerebral thrombosis, this refers to a thrombus, which is a blood clot that develops at the clogged part of the blood vessel.
Cerebral embolism, this is generally a blood clot which forms at some other location in the circulatory system, this is usually the heart and large arteries of the upper chest and neck. A portion of this blood clot will break away, enter the bloodstream and travel into the brain’s blood vessels until it eventually reaches a vessel which is too small to let it pass. Another very important cause of an embolism is an irregular heartbeat, this is known as atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation will create a condition where a blood clot will form in the heart, become dislodged and travel to the brain.
Hemorrhagic stroke accounts for around 17 percent of stroke cases.
Hemorrhagic stroke is a hemorrhage which occurs when a blood vessel on the surface of the brain ruptures and bleeds into the space between the brain and the skull. A cerebral hemorrhage will occur when a defective artery in the brain breaks, and this will fill the surrounding tissue with blood.
When a blood vessel in the brain ruptures it will create a build up of pressure and compress part of the brain. If the person is lucky enough to live through this ordeal, the pressure will eventually subside. It is possible that the brain will regain some of its former function again. It is vitally important to seek medical treatment as soon as possible when a stroke occurs. This way a person can get the help and the treatment that they need to recover and survive through this devastating ordeal. A stroke can cause a great deal of damage to a person’s physical and mental well being.
James McLean Bowie is an author and book dealer who resides in East Yorkshire England. He owns a number of websites, two of which are, http://bowiebiz.com and http://bowieukbooks.com. On his sites you will find a number of resources for collectors, writers, hobbyist and webmasters.
Tags: Cerebral, embolism, fibrillation, Hemorrhagic, Ischemic, stroke, thrombosis
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