USF-COM
Department
of Family Medicine
Patient Education Information on...
Index of
Patient Education Topics
What is a stroke ?
A stroke is a brain injury that occurs when blood flow to the brain
is interrupted by a clogged or burst artery. The interruption of blood
flow causes brain cells to die because there is less oxygen being sent
to them
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What are some facts about stroke
?
Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of
adult disability in the United States. A stroke occurs every minute in
the United States and over 550,000 Americans experience a stroke each year.
Some of the risk factors for having a stroke include age over 55, previous
stroke, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, coronary artery disease,
African American race, smoking, high cholesterol, family history of a stroke,
obesity, excessive alcohol consumption and lack of exercise.
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How do I know if I had a stroke
?
You would have any of the following symptoms either together or alone.
Numbness, weakness or paralysis of face, arm, or leg especially on one
side of the body. Sudden blurred or decreased vision in one or both eyes.
Difficulty speaking or understanding simple statements. Dizziness, loss
of balance or coordination combined with other symptoms. Sudden, severe,
unexplained headache, often described as "the worst headache of your life."
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What causes a stroke ?
Most strokes are caused by clogged arteries in the brain or leading to
the brain. The arteries are usually clogged by a cholesterol plaque or
protein plaque that has built up in that artery or one that has broken
off from another artery and goes to the brain. This kind of stroke is called
an ischemic (is-kee-mic) stroke. Strokes can also be caused when arteries
in the brain burst, like when the blood pressure is real high or if the
artery is not as strong as it used to be, or if your in a very bad accident.
This kind of stroke is called a hemorrhagic (hem-or-aj-ic) stroke.
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How does a doctor know that
I had a stroke ?
The biggest clues that lets doctors know whether or not a person has
had a stroke are from the symptoms that the person describes to the doctor.
If any of the symptoms sound like the ones mentioned above, a CT Scan or
MRI, (basically an x-ray)of the brain would be taken. The x-ray would let
the doctor know if a stroke had occurred, and determine whether the stroke
was hemorrhagic or ischemic.
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How can you treat a stroke
?
A stroke is a very serious condition treated in the hospital. An ischemic
stroke is usually treated by using medication to dissolve the plaque that
is clogging the artery and by using medication to thin the blood so that
more could go through the clogged artery. If the stroke is a hemorrhagic
one, depending on the severity, you might need to have surgery to drain
the blood that is covering the brain or given medication to decrease the
swelling in the brain. Once the cause of the stroke is figured out, like
high blood pressure or cholesterol, treatment is guided towards lowering
the chance of having another stroke.
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What are the side effects
of treatment ?
The blood thinner used to treat ischemic strokes can sometimes thin the
blood too much and cause severe bleeding. Surgery in the brain area can
sometimes cause permanent brain damage if there are complications during
surgery.
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What can I do to reduce
my chances of having a stroke ?
Quitting tobacco and alcohol, controlling blood pressure and weight, eating
a low salt, fat and cholesterol diet, regular exercise and reducing stress
are some of the things you can do to lower your risk of having a stroke.
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What are some complications of having a
stroke ?
Depending on which brain cells die during the stroke, certain functions
of the body parts they control are impaired or lost, causing paralysis,
speech problems, memory and reasoning difficulties, coma and possibly death.
These problems can cause severe disability and impairment, causing the
stroke victim to become permanently dependent on others for care.
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Where can I get more
information about strokes ?
Websites:
Other Sourced of information:
-
National Stroke Association 1-800-STROKES
-
American Heart Association 1-800-AHA-USA1
-
or, you can ask your local doctor.
If you or a loved one experience any of the symptoms
described above, CALL 911!