WAT IS IT????

Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. It is the No. 3 cause of death in the United States, behind diseases of the heart and cancer. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so it starts to die.

Is it similar to brain hemorrhage ???

Brain Hemorrhage is a condition caused due to a sudden stroke to a person after blood leaks out from the blood vessels in the brain. This situation occurs due to the break in the wall of blood vessel, the blood spills out of the blood vessel and enters the area where vital tissues and cells of brain reside, killing those tissues and cells; this causes the patient to become seriously ill and needs immediate medication/treatment.

Symptoms ???

Symptoms

If you have symptoms of a stroke, seek emergency medical care. General symptoms of a stroke include:

• Sudden numbness, paralysis, or weakness in your face, arm, or leg, especially on only one side of your body.
• New problems with walking or balance.
• Sudden vision changes.
• Drooling or slurred speech.
• New problems speaking or understanding simple statements, or feeling confused.
• A sudden, severe headache that is different from past headaches.

Symptoms vary depending on whether the stroke is caused by a clot or bleeding. The location of the blood clot or bleeding and the extent of brain damage can also affect symptoms.

1)Symptoms of an ischemic stroke (caused by a clot blocking a blood vessel) usually occur in the side of the body opposite from the side of the brain where the clot occurred. For example, a stroke in the right side of the brain affects the left side of the body.

2)Symptoms of a hemorrhagic stroke (caused by bleeding in the brain) can be similar to those of an ischemic stroke but may be distinguished by symptoms relating to higher pressure in the brain, including severe headache, nausea and vomiting, neck stiffness, dizziness, seizures, irritability, confusion, and possibly unconsciousness.

Symptoms of a stroke may progress over minutes, hours, or days, often in a stepwise fashion. For example, mild weakness may progress to an inability to move the arm and leg on one side of the body.

• If a stroke is caused by a large blood clot (ischemic stroke) or bleeding (hemorrhagic stroke), symptoms occur suddenly, within seconds.
• When an artery that is narrowed by atherosclerosis becomes blocked, stroke symptoms usually develop gradually over minutes to hours, or (in rare cases) days.
• If several smaller strokes occur over time, the person may have a more gradual change in walking, balance, thinking, or behavior (multi-infarct dementia).

It is not always easy for people to recognize symptoms of a small stroke. They may mistakenly think the symptoms can be attributed to aging, or the symptoms may be confused with those of other conditions that cause similar symptoms.

Risk Factors??

1)Controllable

• Hypertension
• Atrial Fibrillation
• High Cholesterol
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Smoking and Tobacco chewing
• Alcohol Use
• Obesity or Overweight

2)Non- controllable

• Age >55
• Gender – Males most common , but more women die of stroke
• Race – African American>Hispanic>Asians>caucasions
• Family History
• Previous Stroke or Transient Ischemic attacks or Thrombosis or Embolism

What Are the Types of Stroke?

Stroke can be caused either by a clot obstructing the flow of blood to the brain (called an ischemic stroke) or by a blood vessel rupturing and preventing blood flow to the brain (called a hemorrhagic stroke).

Diagnosis of Stroke??

When someone has shown symptoms of a stroke or a TIA (transient ischemic attack or mini stroke), a doctor will gather information and make a diagnosis. A doctor may use many different tests. The ones listed here are just some of the more common options.

Treatment !!!!

Ischemic Stroke

Acute Treatment

• Clot busters, e.g., tPA
  The most promising treatment for ischemic stroke is the FDA-approved clot-busting drug tPA (tissue plasminogen activator), which must be administered within a three-hour window from the onset of symptoms to work best. Administering tPA or other clot-dissolving agents is complex and is done through an intravenous (IV) line in the arm by hospital personnel. If given promptly, tPA can significantly reduce the effects of stroke and reduce permanent disability. Generally, only 3 to 5 percent of those who suffer a stroke reach the hospital in time to be considered for this treatment.

Preventive Treatment

• 	Click to enlarge

  Anticoagulants/Antiplatelets
  Antiplatelet agents such as aspirin and anticoagulants such as warfarin interfere with the blood’s ability to clot and can play an important role in preventing stroke. click here for  anticoagulants.

• Carotid Endarterectomy
  Carotid endarterectomy is a procedure in which blood vessel blockage is surgically removed from the carotid artery. View a detailed illustration of carotid endarterectomy.

• Angioplasty/Stents
  Doctors sometimes use balloon angioplasty and implantable steel screens called stents to treat cardiovascular disease and reduce fatty buildup clogging a vessel. View a detailed illustration of carotid stent.

Hemorrhagic Stroke (Subarachnoid hemorrhage or AVM)

• Surgical Intervention
  For hemorrhagic stroke (specifically for a subarachnoid hemorrhage), surgical treatment is often recommended to either place a metal clip at the base, called the neck, of the aneurysm or to remove the abnormal vessels comprising an arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Learn more about AVM.

• Endovascular Procedures, e.g., “coils”
  Endovascular procedures are less invasive and involve the use of a catheter introduced through a major artery in the leg or arm, guided to the aneurysm or AVM where it deposits a mechanical agent, such as a coil, to prevent rupture. (wat is  aneurysms).

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