Stroke Recovery: What Is A Stroke?

Have you or a loved one suffered a stroke? Have you been searching for medicine or

a treatment that will help aide stroke recovery? Then this article is for you. It will briefly describe what a stroke is, discuss the various types of strokes and finally provide some information about stroke recovery.

A cerebrovascular accident (CVA), commonly referred to as a stroke, is the rapidly developing loss of brain function(s) due to disturbance in the blood supply to a certain area of the brain. When this happens, brains cells die from lack of oxygen and brain damage may occur. As a result of the death of these brain cells, the affected area is not able to function, leading to inability to understand or formulate speech, inability to move limbs on one side of the body or an inability to see one part of the visual field. There are two major categories of strokes: hemorrhagic and ischemic. Hemorrhagic strokes result from a blood vessel rupturing or an abnormal vascular structure, while ischemic strokes are caused by a blood clot blocking an artery. A large majority (87 percent) of strokes are a result of ischemia, while 13 percent are caused by hemorrhage.

How a stroke victim is affected depends on two things: where the stroke occurred in the brain and how badly the brain was damaged. For example, an individual who has a minor stroke may experience weakness of a leg or arm whereas an individual who has a larger stroke may lose their ability to speak or may be paralyzed on one side of their body. Some individuals experience full recovery but more than two-thirds of stroke survivors have some form of lasting disability.

Stroke is a very serious occurrence that can cause permanent brain damage, other complications, and may even result in death. Strokes are the leading cause of disability in adults in the United States and Europe. They are also the number two cause of death throughout the world. Risk factors for stroke include, family history, hypertension or high blood pressure, advanced age, diabetes, previous stroke, cigarette smoking, high cholesterol, and atrial fibrillation. One way to avoid a stroke or help aide stroke recovery is to reduce high blood pressure.

Strokes caused by blood clots can be treated in a hospital with a "clot buster" drug that is called a thrombolysis. Post-stroke prevention or stroke recovery may involve control and reduction of hypertension, the use of antiplatelet drugs, the use of statins and the use of anticoagulants.

Stroke recovery or rehabilitation is the process by which an individual with disabling stroke undergoes treatment or rehabilitation to help them return to a more normal life by relearning and reacquiring the skills of everyday living. Stroke recovery also aims to help the individual understand difficulties, prevent secondary complications and educate friends and family to play a supporting role. Common forms of stroke rehabilitation include physical therapy, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy.

by: Ed Koeneman

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