On Strokes

There are certain types of strokes.  One of them is a thrombotic Stroke.  A thrombotic stoke is a stroke that is caused by a thrombus, or blood clot, that develops in the arteries that supply the blood to the brain.  Older people who have high cholesterol and antherosclerosis, which is when there is a buildup of fat and lipids inside the walls of your blood vessels, are usually the types of people who suffer from a thrombotic stroke.

The symptoms of a thrombotic strokes can either occur suddenly or gradually over hours or days.  This is known as a stroke-in-evolution.  When someone is going through a thrombotic stroke, treatment must be given within three hours after the stroke symptoms begin.  The medication needed is tissue plasminogen activator, or t-PA.  It is given through an IV.  This medication is crucial because is can dissolve blood clots and restore the blood flow to the brain.  People need this medication right away because they will have a less long-term disability following their stroke.

For more information on thrombotic strokes visit: http://heart-disease.health-cares.net/thrombotic-stroke.php  

Some people are confused about what exactly a stroke is.  A stroke, as defined by the World Health Organization, or WHO, is, “a neurological deficit of cerebrovascular cause that persists beyond 24 hours or is interrupted by death within 24 hours.”  In other words, a stroke is when you rapidly lose brain function due to lack of blood supply to the brain. 

The area of the brain that is unable to function causes you to lose the inability to move one or more limbs, makes you unable to understand or formulate speech, or you may lose vision.  Stokes may cause permanent neurological damage, complications, and death.  In the U.S. and Europe, strokes are the leading cause of adult disability.  Worldwide, strokes are the second most common cause of death.