Strokes:
What They Are & How To Prevent Them

Reducing Your Chances of Falling Victim to One

In 1989 147,470 people died of stroke in the U.S. Half of a million new and recurrent cases are reported each year. The good news is that 2,980,000 Americans have survived strokes.

Stroke occurs when a blood vessel bringing oxygen to the brain bursts or is clogged by a blood clot. As a result, part of the brain does not get the blood flow it needs. When this happens, nerve cells die within minutes. As a result, parts of the body controled by these cells cannot function. The effects of stroke are often permanent because dead brain cells cannot be replaced.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage: This takes place when a blood vessel on the brain's surface breaks and bleeds into the area between the skull and the brain. Subarachnoid is the area between the skull and the brain. Subarachnoid hemorrhages account for seven percent of strokes.

Types of Strokes

Cerebral thrombosis: This is the most common type of stroke. It takes place when a blood clot forms, blocking blood flow in an artery bringing blood int the brain. Blood clots usually form in the arteries damaged by artherosclerosis.

Cerebral embolism: This accounts for five to fourteen percent of all strokes. It takes place when a wandering clot forms in a blood vessel away from the brain, usually in the heart. This embolus is carried by the bloodstream until it lodges in an artery leading to or in the brain, thus blocking the blood flow.

Cerebral hemorrhage: This occurs when a defective artery in the brain breaks, flooding the surrounding tissue with blood. About ten percent of strokes result from Cerebral hemorrhage.

Warning Signs of A Stroke

• Sudden dimness or loss of vision, particularly in only one eye.
• Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, leg, or arm on one side of the body.
• Loss of speech, or trouble understanding speach or talking.
• Sudden severe headaches for no particular reason.
• Unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness or sudden falls. These are especially worrisome when accompanied by of the previously noted symptoms.

Effects of Stroke

Strokes affect people differently. Much depends on the kind of stroke and the part of the brain affected. Strokes can affect speech, and the ability to understand speech. They can also cause memory loss. Paralysis on a side of the body is common. Strokes can alos result in depression.

A srtoke can cause it's victim to suffer diminished vision in an eye. Thus, persons who have suffered from stroke may not recognize familiar objects as they once did.

Slurred speach may result from strokes because they affect the muscles used in talking. Chewing and swallowing may be affected as well. A stroke can affect the ablity to think clearly. Victims may become frustrated by being unable to do simple tasks they were able to do before.

Reducing The Risk Factors

Some of the risk factors for stroke are hereditary. With a physicians help, however, the following factors can be treated:

• heart disease
• high blood pressure
• smoking
• high red blood cell count
• transient ischemic attacks. These are the "liitle strokes" which precede about ten percent of strokes. The death rate for strokes has gone down since 1950. Combinations of medicine and physical therapy are part of a comprehensive approach to dealing with the effects of stroke. These coupled with support from the victim's family can help him or her make as complete a recovery as is possible.