Stroke

What is a Stroke?

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Basically, a stoke happens when blood supply to the brain is disrupted. There are two main types of stroke. One is called "ischemic" and happens when a clot blocks blood flow to the brain. Without a good blood supply, brain tissue becomes starved and dies. The other type of stroke is called "hemoragic" and happens when a weakened blood vessel breaks and spills blood into the brain. Pools of blood are toxic to our delicate brain tissue. Sometimes a stroke is called a "brain attack."





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 Different problems arise depending on where the damage from the brain attack occurs. The most common type of stroke is an ischemic stoke in the external carotid artery. This leads to damage in the left hemisphere of the brain. (I talk about the different parts of the brain, and what they do, in a previous post called "What's in a Brain?")

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A quick response to stroke is the best way to save brain functioning. Even though the damage caused by stroke is hidden inside our brains, the symptoms associated with stroke are easy to spot. They include sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination; or sudden severe headache with no known cause.

WARNING SIGNS OF STROKE:

S = SPEECH, or any problems with language.
T = TINGLING, or any numbness in the body.
R = REMEMBER, or any problems with memory.
O = OFF BALANCE, problems with coordination.
K = KILLER HEADACHE.
E = EYES, or any problems with vision.

STROKE is a medical emergency. Call 9-1-1. 

Risk and Prevention

High blood pressure is the number one risk factor for stroke. Other risk factors include smoking, heart disease, diabetes, a history of head/neck injuries, and age - if you're over 65 you're more likely to have a stroke than the general population.

Healthy living is the best way to prevent stroke. We all know what that means...eat well, exercise, reduce stress, socialize, challenge your brain, stop smoking and visit with your doctor. 



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 Life After Stroke

Medication and surgery are often medical treatments for stroke. However, a "brain attack" can have long-lasting affects on movement, cognition, language, emotions, memory, and pain. The brain is a flexible organ that can adapt to damage. While full recovery may not be possible, people who survive stroke can regain a lot of what was lost, and learn a new meaning of living well. 

The first step is often a neuropsychological assessment. A specialy trained psychologist will do some tests to determine exactly what areas of the brain were damaged by the stroke, and what treatments are recommended to address those issues. Then a plan can be created that may include:

Physical therapy to help relearn walking, sitting, lying down, and switching from type of movement to another.

Occupational Therapy to help relearn eating, drinking, dressing, bathing, cooking, reading, writing, and toileting.

Speech Therapy to help relearn language and communication skills, including swallowing.

Psychological/Psychiatric Therapy to alleviate mental and emotional problems.

There is hope. Recovery is possible. For an inspirational story of a woman who survived a stroke, check out this video or read My Stroke of Insight by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor.