What is a stroke?

A stroke or “brain attack” is the fast progress in the loss of brain functions due to an interruption of the blood supply to the brain. This lack of blood supply (ischemic) can be caused by formation of blood clot inside the blood vessel or by an object (could be blood clot) traveling from the vessel and causing blockage or directly by a rupture of the blood vessel (hemorrhagic) leading to bleeding. Therefore, the area affected in the brain is not able to function. Since the brain controls movements, speech, vision, abilities to understand and formulate thoughts, all these functions will be affected when the brain does not receive the blood supply needed.
Stroke is a medical emergency, meaning that it is an acute injury that creates an immediate danger to a person’s life or long term health. Unfortunately, it is a leading cause of adult disability and the third leading cause of death in United States.

What causes stroke?

*  Stroke may be caused by heart problems, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries), high blood pressure or diseases that affect the blood clotting.

*  Heart problems can cause blood clots to form inside the heart and sometimes,  these clots can disrupt and travel to the brain causing stroke.

*  Atherosclerosis, which is caused by cholesterol build up, can clog the vessels with fatty deposits or plaques and lead to a  decrease of blood flow to the brain resulting in stroke.

*  Parts of the plaque can disrupt and move through the arteries to the brain causing stroke.

*  High blood pressure ( hypertension) can damage to the blood vessels, by narrowing  it or by making the vessels weak,  leading to stroke by bleeding.

* Additionally, smoking and drug abuse leads to stroke as well.

How to Prevent?

It is much easier to prevent than treat them. There are factors that increase your chance of having a stroke called stroke risk factors, and the risk factor is different for everyone.
Some of these risk factors cannot be  changed,  such as genetic predisposition, gender, age, and race.  Other risks  can changed. You can diminish you chances of having a stroke by controlling:

High blood pressure – this is the most important factor that causes strokes.  Keep your blood pressure less than 120/80 mmHg and maintain proper body weight, cut down on your dietary salt, eat fruits and vegetables, maintain physical activities and if needed, take blood pressure medication prescribed by your doctor.

High cholesterol – cholesterol is the fatty stuff in your body. It is true that the body needs cholesterol, but when the body has more than is needed, the extra cholesterol is accumulated and deposited in the walls of the blood vessels causing a condition called atherosclerosis, which hardens the vessels and blocks them. Atherosclerosis causes heart attack, which is the number one cause of death in U.S.   It is optimal to keep your total cholesterol to less than 200 mg/dL and your LDL less than 100 mg/dL.  You can lower your cholesterol by exercising routinely and maintaining your body weight, eating more fruits and vegetables, eating more white meat than red meat.  If needed, your doctor may prescribe  a cholesterol-lowering medication.

Smoking and drinking – it is well know that cigarette smoking is linked to fatty build up in the carotid artery, causing the its blockage  which will lead to stroke. It is believed that smoking damages the inner wall of the vessels, making them more vulnerable to the fatty substance to deposit in it and blocking the arteries. Moreover, nicotine in cigarettes raise blood pressure and the smoke makes the blood thicker and easier to the formation of blood clots.

Healthy weight and physical activities – maintaining a healthy weight and keeping a routine physical activity can lower your blood pressure, lower your cholesterol levels and reduce your chances of stroke.

Signs of Stroke

To decrease the risk of death or disability from stroke, learn to recognize the signs and seek immediate treatment.
It includes the following 5 elements:
1. Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, specially on one side of the body
2. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
3. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
4. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination
5. Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Remember, stroke is a medical emergency, so if you recognize the signs, DO NOT ignore. If you or someone you know has one or more signs, take action!  Call 9-1-1 immediately.  Treatment can be more effective if it is done promptly.  Every minute counts!  The longer the blood flow is cut off from the brain, the greater the damage will be.

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