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Understanding Stroke: Signs and Risks

A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, depriving brain cells of oxygen. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, caused by blockage of a blood vessel, and hemorrhagic, caused by bleeding in the brain. Warning signs of a stroke include sudden numbness, confusion, trouble seeing or walking, and severe headaches. Risk factors include high blood pressure, smoking, heart disease, previous strokes or mini-strokes, and diabetes. Knowing the warning signs and controlling risk factors can reduce the risk of death or disability from stroke.

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46 views2 pages

Understanding Stroke: Signs and Risks

A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, depriving brain cells of oxygen. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, caused by blockage of a blood vessel, and hemorrhagic, caused by bleeding in the brain. Warning signs of a stroke include sudden numbness, confusion, trouble seeing or walking, and severe headaches. Risk factors include high blood pressure, smoking, heart disease, previous strokes or mini-strokes, and diabetes. Knowing the warning signs and controlling risk factors can reduce the risk of death or disability from stroke.

Uploaded by

nowrin05273815
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

What is a Stroke?

A stroke, or "brain attack," occurs when blood circulation to the brain fails. Brain cells can die
from decreased blood flow and the resulting lack of oxygen. There are two broad categories of
stroke: those caused by a blockage of blood flow and those caused by bleeding. While not
usually fatal, a blockage of a blood vessel in the brain or neck, called an ischemic stroke, is the
most frequent cause of stroke and is responsible for about 80 percent of strokes. These blockages
stem from three conditions: the formation of a clot within a blood vessel of the brain or neck,
called thrombosis; the movement of a clot from another part of the body such as the heart to the
neck or brain, called embolism; or a severe narrowing of an artery in or leading to the brain,
called stenosis. Bleeding into the brain or the spaces surrounding the brain causes the second
type of stroke, called hemorrhagic stroke.

Two key steps you can take will lower your risk of death or disability from stroke: know stroke's
warning signs and control stroke's risk factors. Scientific research conducted by the NINDS has
identified warning signs and a large number of risk factors.

What are Warning Signs of a Stroke?


Warning signs are clues your body sends that your brain is not receiving enough oxygen. If you
observe one or more of these signs of a stroke or "brain attack," don't wait, call a doctor or 911
right away!

 Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
 Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
 Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
 Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
 Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Other danger signs that may occur include double vision, drowsiness, and nausea or vomiting.
Sometimes the warning signs may last only a few moments and then disappear. These brief
episodes, known as transient ischemic attacks or TIAs, are sometimes called "mini-strokes."
Although brief, they identify an underlying serious condition that isn't going away without
medical help. Unfortunately, since they clear up, many people ignore them. Don't. Heeding them
can save your life.

What are Risk Factors for a Stroke?


A risk factor is a condition or behavior that occurs more frequently in those who have, or are at
greater risk of getting, a disease than in those who don't. Having a risk factor for stroke doesn't
mean you'll have a stroke. On the other hand, not having a risk factor doesn't mean you'll avoid a
stroke. But your risk of stroke grows as the number and severity of risk factors increases.

Stroke occurs in all age groups, in both sexes, and in all races in every country. It can even occur
before birth, when the fetus is still in the womb. In African-Americans, stroke is more common
and more deadly--even in young and middle-aged adults--than for any ethnic or other racial
group in the United States. Scientists have found more and more severe risk factors in some
minority groups and continue to look for patterns of stroke in these groups.

What Are the Treatable Risk Factors?


Some of the most important treatable risk factors for stroke are:

1. High blood pressure


2. Cigarette smoking
3. Heart disease
4. Warning signs or history of stroke
5. Diabetesa

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