Chronic Health Care Conditions: Strokes

The stroke; one of the most deadly and common illnesses known to mankind kills approximately 157,000 people every year. They occur in 1 out of every 15 deaths in the United States. Most doctors and psychologists believe that strokes are mainly due to high stress conditions and lack of interest by certain doctors, not paying attention to minor blood clots that can lead to larger ones (Memory: Blood Simple).

Once the arterial blood flow, which leads to the brain is blocked or ruptured, a stroke occurs (Pierce). The blood that is stopped was in the process of carrying oxygen and nutrients to the nerve cells in the brain. Therefore, when the flow of blood stops, those blood cells die. In turn, the nerve cells can lose their ability to function as a result of the lack of nutrients and oxygen (Life After Stroke).

The extent of the cell death and where in the brain the stroke happens can determine the abilities that will be lost or effected. Victims of a stroke may or may not experience loss in functions in the right hemisphere of the brain, left hemisphere of the brain, cerebellum, or brain stem depending on the severity of the stroke (Pierce). The right hemisphere of the brain controls the left side of the body, analytical tasks, perceptual tasks, and short-term memory. The left hemisphere of the brain controls the right side of the body, speech, language, and memory. The cerebellum controls balance and coordination. The brain stem controls eye movement, hearing, speech, life support functions, and swallowing abilities. All, some, or none of these functions can be lost or damaged in the event of a stroke (Health Encyclopedia – Diseases).

There are two different categories of strokes: Ischemic Stroke and Hemorrhagic Stroke. The Ischemic Stroke is caused by a blocked blood vessel in the brain or neck. There are three separate conditions this type of stroke stems from: Thrombosis, Embolism, or Stenosis. The Thrombosis Stroke is a blood clot that forms within a blood vessel of the brain or neck and is caused by plaque build-up. The Embolism Stroke is a blood clot moving to the brain or neck from another part of the body. This is caused by plaque build-up or an irregular heart beat that leads to blood clots. The Stenosis Stroke is where a severe narrowing of an artery occurs in or leading to the brain (Health Encyclopedia – Diseases).

The second major category of stroke is the Hemorrhagic Stroke. This is a number of disorders that affect blood vessels, causing a bleeding into the brain or spaces surrounding the brain (Pierce). There are two types of Hemorrhagic Strokes: Subarachnoid Hemorrhage and Intracerebral Hemorrhage. A Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Stroke is caused by a rupture of a blood vessel on the surface of the brain and the blood fills in the space between the brain and the skull. The Intracerebral Hemorrhage Stroke is caused by a rupture of a blood vessel within the brain itself (Memory: Blood Simple).

There are five uncontrolled and two controlled risk factors that can increase the possibility of a stroke. The five uncontrollable risk factors include age, sex, race, history of diabetes, and history of stroke. The chance of having a stroke increases as you grow older, 2/3 of strokes occur to people over the age of 65. Males have a higher risk percentage of having a stroke than females. African Americans also have a higher chance of stroke than any other race. If there is any history of diabetes or stroke in your family, you also have a higher risk of stroke. The two controlled risk factors include treatable medical disorders and lifestyles factors. Diabetes, arterial fibrillation, heart attack, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, carotid artery disease, heart disease, or history of stroke are all examples of a treatable medical disorder (Health Encyclopedia – Diseases). Some lifestyle factors including smoking, drinking too much, obesity, drug abuse, physical activity, stress, and low estrogen can all increase the chance of a stroke. Warning signs of a stroke are as follows: a sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm, and leg on one side of the body, loss of speech, trouble talking or understanding speech, dimness or loss of vision, unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness, or sudden falls (Life After Stroke).

If a person that falls victim to a stroke survives, their life may never be the same. Barely anyone that survives a severe stroke will ever fully recover from it (Life After Stroke). It is very difficult on the family to help the victim, for they will need constant help; whether the help include dressing them, feeding them, re-teaching communication skills, cooperating with their sever mood swings, or all of these things. After surviving a stroke, the victim is more liable to have another in their lifetime, if the stroke is not the cause of their death (Health Encyclopedia – Diseases).

Being someone whom lost a beloved family member to a stroke, I know exactly how it feels to deal with that painful realization. My great-grandmother had a stroke in the fall of last year. She had a hard time breathing, coming to terms with her physical problems, her vision, and her speech. She seemed to get better, about to return home even, but out of nowhere ended up having another stroke occur and lay her bed-ridden. From that point on everyone, including herself, knew that she was not going to get any better and that it was just a matter of time until she passed away. After much time and pain, she finally passed away, god rest her soul, late last year. It was a very difficult time and experience for my entire family.

Treatment for a stroke depends on where in the brain it occurred and whether it was a Ischemic or Hemorrhagic Stroke (Pierce). The doctor can choose to use a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scan to determine the type and location of the stroke. Time is very important at this point in time, it can determine life and death for a victim of stroke (Memory: Blood Simple).

There are a few treatments that can be used. The first treatment is a “Clot Buster,” which is inserted into the femoral artery near the groin area and then threaded up to the brain, dissolving the blood clot. Another treatment that can be used is accomplished by administering anti-hypertensive drugs to reduce blood pressure and break up the blood-clot. These drugs include Aspirin, Ticlopidine, Heparin, Coumadin, or Warfarin, they will help to prevent future blood clots from forming. If these are unsuccessful, a carotid endarterectomy can be considered. This procedure removes plaque and blood clots from the carotid artery, allowing blood to flow uninterrupted (Life After Stroke).

Some people are slightly affected by strokes, others can recover quickly from a sever stroke. Strokes can also cause serious damage to some that will take a long period of time to regain just partial use of limbs, speech, or other faculties that have been affected. The extent of the brain damage, skills of the rehabilitation team, patient’s attitude, and cooperation of the family can all play a major role in the successfulness of the patient’s rehabilitation process. Due to advances in both treatment and rehabilitation, many victims can be nearly restored to a fully functional life (Life After Stroke).