Stroke is also known as a Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA). Stroke is the brain damage that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted for some reason. Brain cells die during stroke because of the loss of blood and oxygen to the brain cells.

• Stroke can be caused by blockage of the arteries to the brain, by blood clots or narrowing of the arteries.
• This is the most common cause of stroke accounting for 80% of strokes.
• Bleeding into the brain tissue causes the other 20% of strokes.

Symptoms:

5 most common stroke symptoms include:

1. Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm, or leg, especially 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, loss of balance or coordination.
5. Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

Other symptoms which are important, but less common symptoms include:

• Sudden nausea, fever, and vomiting distinguished from a viral illness by the speed of onset (minutes or hours vs. several days).
• Brief loss of consciousness or period of decreased consciousness (fainting, confusion, convulsions or coma).

Preventive measures:

By taking certain measures, stroke can be prevented. They include:

1. First and foremost is, control your Blood Pressure (BP) as uncontrolled BP is the number one cause of stroke.
   1. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables can control BP, reducing the amount of salt and fatty foods you consume and by reducing weight with exercise.
   2. If these don't work then you may need medication to help lower blood pressure.
2. There is always the caution written, "smoking is injurious to health." So, quit smoking.
   1. Smoking promotes a buildup of fatty deposits in the carotid arteries and also causes the arteries to narrow. Together this can cause obstruction of the blood flow to the brain.
   2. Nicotine patches and gum have proven effective, as has Zyban, an antidepressant. Though unproven, acupuncture and hypnosis seem to be helpful as some people report.
3. Treating heart disease also forms an important preventive measure. Many forms of heart disease can cause the formation of blood clots, of which pieces can break off and travel to the brain and lodge in small blood vessels causing obstruction.
   1. There are medications, which thin the blood and prevent the formation of clots.
   2. Surgical procedures, which open up heart blood vessels, can also help to prevent strokes by "cleaning out" the existing buildup in the arteries.
4. Diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease. So, diabetes needs to be controlled. One of the many complications of uncontrolled diabetes is narrowing of the arteries and buildup of fatty deposits. These are the same problems that can lead to stroke.
   1. It has also been found that if blood sugars are excessively high when a stroke hits the amount of brain damage is increased.
   2. Exercise, proper diet, and checking blood sugar daily are imperative.

Stroke is an emergency

Prevention of stroke is of utmost importance. But when stroke hits, rapid treatment is needed to prevent the disability that stroke can cause.

• The first step in treating stroke is recognizing the symptoms.
• The second step is seeking emergency treatment immediately when those symptoms hit.

Immediate medical attention is needed. Rapid, appropriate treatment has proven to reduce or prevent the permanent disabilities that stroke can cause.

Treatment:

TPA, the "clot-buster" has proven to be very effective drug if administered within the first 3 hours of the onset of the stroke symptoms. This drug does increase the risk of bleeding in the brain, and is not recommended for use in strokes cased by hemorrhage.

Stroke treatment may also involve several other drugs, which are administered according to your needs. Possible treatments include:

• Anticoagulents may be used to prevent the formation of clots that can cause further problems.
• Anti-hypertensive drugs act in various ways to help lower blood pressure.
• Cholesterol lowering drugs to lower high cholesterol that can lead to plaque in the blood vessels, which can reduce the flow of blood to the brain.
• Antiplatelet drugs help to reduce the stickiness of platelets and prevent clots.

Along with appropriate therapies, these drugs can help the stroke victim recover and reduce the long lasting effects of the stroke.

Related Articles

• Heart Patients are at a High Risk of Stroke
• Rehabilitation may begin within two days after the stroke
• Behavioral and Emotional Changes after Stroke
• Recent Facts in Treatment and Research of Stroke.