Treatment of Stroke

Stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain. This can be due to ischemia (lack of blood supply) caused by thrombosis or embolism, or due to a hemorrhage. In medicine, a stroke, fit, or faint is sometimes referred to as an ictus [cerebra], from the Latin ice re ("to strike"), especially prior to a definitive diagnosis.

As a stroke survivor or a caregiver for a stroke survivor, did you know that having a stroke puts you at greater risk for another stroke? Now, National Stroke Association has partnered with Bristol-Meyers Squibb Sanofi pharmaceuticals to develop the STARS program.

Stroke Risk Factors
The first, called an is chemic stroke, is caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel or artery in the brain. About 80 percent of all strokes are is chemic. The second, known as a hemorrhagic stroke, is caused by a blood vessel in the brain that breaks and bleeds into the brain. About 20 percent of strokes are hemorrhagic.

Sex (gender) — Stroke is more common in men than in women.  In most age groups, more men than women will have a stroke in a given year.  However, more than half of total stroke deaths occur in women.  Embolic stroke. An embolic stroke occurs when a blood clot or other particle forms in a blood vessel away from your brain — commonly in your heart — and is swept through your bloodstream to lodge in narrower brain arteries. This type of blood clot is called an em bolus.

Cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking has been linked to the buildup of fatty substances in the carotid artery, the main neck artery supplying blood to the brain. Blockage of this artery is the leading cause of stroke in Americans.

What are stroke symptoms?
Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body. The loss of voluntary movement and/or sensation may be complete or partial. There may also be an associated tingling sensation in the affected area,Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding. Sometimes weakness in the muscles of the face can cause drooling.

The diagnosis
The woman and her husband are reassured after the physical examination that all is well, but the doctor wants to do some testing. And electrocardiogram (EKG) is performed to confirm normal heart rhythms and a CT scan of the brain is done, since small areas of bleeding can also cause stroke and TIA. After these results return as normal, a carotid ultrasound is obtained to ensure that there is no critical narrowing of the carotid artery, which would require surgery.

Treatment of stroke
Thrombotic medicine, such as tPA, breaks up blood clots and can restore blood flow to the damaged area. People who receive this medicine are more likely to have less long-term impairment. However, there are strict criteria for who can receive thrombolytics. The most important is that the person be examined and treated by a specialized stroke team within 3 hours of when the symptoms start If the stroke is caused by bleeding rather than clotting, this treatment can make the damage worse -- so care is needed to diagnose the cause before giving treatment.