Stroke Essay

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Stroke also known as cerebrovascular accident (CVA), cerebrovascular insult (CVI), or a brain attack. A brain attack is the loss of brain function by the cause of disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This disturbance occurs due to either one of two causes which are ischemia (lack of blood flow) or a hemorrhage (high increase of blood flow directly into brain; parenchyma or into the subarachnoid space which surrounds the brain with tissue). Ischemia is a formation by a blood clot that is inside of a blood vessel located in the circulatory system called thrombosis or arterial embolism; which is a rapid interruption in the supply of blood flow to an organ or body part due to a clogged artery blocking the blood flow. Thrombosis is a medical condition where the brain experiences a dearth supply of blood and oxygen to the organ called Cerebral Hypoperfusion. The result of a unsupervised stoke can cause permanent neurological damage or even death. Some possible risk factors for stoke are old age, previous stoke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol and high blood pressure which is the most common risk factor of stroke. The four types of stroke are Ischemic Stroke, Transient Ischemic Stroke (TIA or minor-stroke), Hemorrhagic Stroke, and Paediatric Stroke. A stroke usually is attached to the brain, one of our most complex organs in our body that consists of 100 billion specialized nerve cells called neurons. Neurons in our body feed off on oxygen and nutrients in the blood. When one has a stroke the functions affected rely on the amount and cause of damage present. Damages of the brain subsequently vary from one individual to another. Parts effected by a stroke depend of the area of the brain damage...

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...anticoagulants drugs) and medications to lower cholesterol (Cholesterol Absorpition Inhibitors, Fabrates, Niacin, Resins etc…) and other medications to lower possible high blood pressure (BETA Blockers, ACE Inhibitors, ARB’s , calcium channel blockers, and diuretics. The other treatment for stroke is a surgery to remove blood clots, to repair blood vessels, and surgery to remove plaque from the carotid artery. A non surgical procedure after a stroke is Carotid Angioplastry and stenting which is a balloon-like device that unclogs the artery and a metal piece is placed to keep it open. Another procedure is the Colling Aneurysms is a treatment which fills in weak ruptured blood vessels with tiny flexible coils made of platinum. The economic impact of this disease on Canada is big. The approx cost is 2.7 billion annually on nurses, doctors, drugs, hospitals, research.

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