Within the last month, two of my friends have had strokes in their families. A few years ago, my grandmother had several strokes in a short period of time before she passed away. Stroke can be sudden and extreme and is often fatal or debilitating. They are the third most common cause of death in the United States, after heart disease and cancer. Until recently, however, I knew very little about stroke.
What is stroke? In the most basic sense, stroke is the death of brain cells due to a loss of blood flow to the brain. The two ways this can happen are from a blockage or a rupture. Blockage is often caused by a blood clot, or by plaque buildup breaking free from the heart or an artery; this object then lodges in the smaller arteries in the head and prevents blood from reaching the brain. Rupture (or hemorrhaging) can be caused by a blow to the head or by an artery simply breaking open due to brittleness over time. While the stroke itself is the emergency condition, the actual causes of the stroke are often long-term conditions such as high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, or hardened arteries. All of these are treatable conditions, so in many cases stroke is avoidable if the body is kept healthy.
If someone is having a stroke, the symptoms are not always conclusive or consistent. Because the loss of blood could be anywhere in the brain, the effects could be in just about any behavior. Generally, however, stroke will be accompanied by localized loss of movement or weakness, or loss of sensation (numbness and inability to move an arm, for instance), confusion, or balance or vision problems. If someone has these symptoms, the proper first aid response is to call 911 immediately, then have them lie flat and rest until medical help arrives; if the victim is experiencing nauseousness or drowsiness, have them lie on their side instead.
The only reliable ways to diagnose a stroke involve actual brain scans in conjunction with blood tests and other testing. Once it has been identified, most treatment of stroke is two-fold: treat the stroke itself by (usually) thinning the blood to reduce or eliminate any clotting; and treat the actual cause, such as hypertension or diabetes.
To minimize the long-term likelihood of having a stroke, eat a healthy diet and get regular exercise; this will keep your blood pressure and cholesterol low. If you are a smoker, quit. If you are diabetic, be vigilant in your treatment to keep it under control. Finally, if you or someone you know shows symptoms of a stroke, act quickly to get professional help.
Resources:
Other news
- Might we move forward on this now? Stem cells cells that won’t destroy embryo?
- A book that answers the important questions: Excerpt: ‘Why Do Men Fall Asleep After Sex?’
- From the ‘Making Life Simpler Department’: Bye-bye BMI? Tape may measure obesity better
Healthy thoughts,
Jeff
