Stroke

What is a stroke?

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly interrupted or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, spilling blood into the spaces surrounding brain cells. Brain cells die when they no longer receive oxygen and nutrients from the blood or there is sudden bleeding into or around the brain. There are two forms of stroke: ischemic, which involves blockage of a blood vessel supplying the brain, and hemorrhagic, involving bleeding into or around the brain.

Although stroke is a disease of the brain, it can affect the entire body. A common disability that results from stroke is complete paralysis on one side of the body, called hemiplegia. A related disability that is not as debilitating as paralysis is one-sided weakness or hemiparesis. Stroke may cause problems with thinking, awareness, attention, learning, judgment, memory, and speech. It can also lead to emotional problems and depression. Recurrent stroke is frequent; about 25 percent of people who recover from their first stroke will have another stroke within 5 years.

Symptoms

If you see or have one or more of these symptoms, don't wait—call 911 right away!

Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm, or leg, 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.
Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

Is there any treatment?

Generally there are three treatment stages for stroke: prevention, therapy immediately after the stroke, and post-stroke rehabilitation. Therapies to prevent a first or recurrent stroke are based on treating an individual's underlying risk factors for stroke, such as hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and diabetes. Acute stroke therapies try to stop a stroke while it is happening by quickly dissolving the blood clot causing an ischemic stroke or by stopping the bleeding of a hemorrhagic stroke. Post-stroke rehabilitation helps individuals overcome disabilities that result from stroke damage. Medication or drug therapy is the most common treatment for stroke. The most popular classes of drugs used to prevent or treat stroke are antithrombotics (antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants) and thrombolytics.

Risk factors

Stroke prevention is still the best medicine. The most important treatable conditions linked to stroke are:

High blood pressure. Treat it. Eat a balanced diet, maintain a healthy weight, and exercise to reduce blood pressure. Drugs are also available.
Cigarette smoking. Quit. Medical help is available to help quit.
Heart disease. Manage it. Your doctor can treat your heart disease and may prescribe medication to help prevent the formation of clots. If you are over 50, scientists with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke (NINDS) believe you and your doctor should make a decision about aspirin therapy.
Diabetes. Control it. Treatment can delay complications that increase the risk of stroke.
Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). Seek help. TIAs are small strokes that last only for a few minutes or hours. They should never be ignored and can be treated with drugs or surgery.