What Exactly is a Stroke?

Stroke is an interruption of blood flow to the brain. Risk factors include hypertension, advanced age, high cholesterol, gender (more men have strokes than women), cigarette smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, sickle cell anemia, or diabetes. Those who suffer stroke can suffer a number of symptoms, such as partial or full paralysis, diminished senses (smell, taste, hearing, and/or vision), aphasia, memory loss, and a lack of coordination, among others.

Types and Causes of Strokes

There are different types and causes of strokes; the type and cause, along with its severity, play a significant role in stroke treatment and recovery. There are two major types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes are those strokes resulting from a loss of blood to the brain. Hemorrhagic strokes occur when blood vessel burst in the brain. The blood swells into a mass called a hematoma, which can damage brain tissue through pressure. There are several different causes of strokes:

Thrombotic stroke: A thrombus is a blood clot. A thrombotic stroke occurs when blood clots constrict the blood flow through arteries and interrupt the flow of blood through the brain. This is a type of ischemic stroke.

Embolic stroke: An embolus is a bit of debris; an embolic stroke occurs when an embolus cuts off the flow of blood to the brain. This is a type of ischemic stroke.

Intracerebral hemorrhage: This is occurs when a blood vessel bursts in the brain. This is a type of hemorrhagic stroke.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage: This occurs when a blood vessel bursts between the brain and the tissues that cover the brain. This is a type of hemorrhagic stroke.

Stroke Treatment and Recovery

Of course, the best treatment is prevention-reducing or eliminating risk factors. Hypertension can be reduced through proper diet and moderate exercise, as well as a reduction or elimination of alcohol and drug consumption.

But if you’ve been hospitalized for a stroke, doctors will try to identify the cause of the stroke relatively quickly to determine the best treatment options.

If you’ve suffered an ischemic stroke, doctors may try to break up the thrombus or embolus using drugs.

If you’ve suffered a hemorrhagic stroke, drugs may be used to raise or lower blood pressure as well as to alleviate pressure on the brain. But surgery is often required to fix ruptured blood vessels, and/or to remove the hematoma.

In either case, after release from the hospital, a drug regimen may be necessary to alleviate hypertension, and other stroke symptoms.

Stroke survivors, particularly those survivors of hemorrhagic stroke, may suffer severe and long-lasting brain damage. When a patient is no longer in immediate danger of dying, rehabilitation will begin and may include physical therapy, counseling, and/or speech therapy depending on which brain functions were impaired.

According to the National Stroke Association, stroke survivors are likely to suffer the following effects according to the particular affected area of the brain:

Right hemisphere: stroke survivors are likely to suffer partial or full paralysis of the left side, difficulty managing spatial relationships, and a tendency towards impulsivity.

Left hemisphere: this may result in partial or full paralysis of the right side, along with aphasia, and a tendency towards cautious behavior.

Cerebellum: this will result in problems with reflexes and motor coordination, and nausea.

Brain stem: survivors may develop paralysis on either side of the body along with difficulty maintaining heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate.

Stroke treatment depends on the effects: stroke survivors may suffer incontinence, which may result in a retraining program, or the use of a catheter. Brain damage induced-behavioral changes may necessitate counseling and/or therapy to deal with them. Motor control may be impaired as well and require physical therapy.

Brain functions may recover on their own or through medication and/or (further) surgery. The recovery time largely depends on the affected portion of the brain and the nature of the damage. The time it takes to recover from a stroke depends on its type and severity, as well as how quickly it was diagnosed and treatment begun.

Common among stroke survivors is depression, particularly among those who have suffered lasting damage to their basic functions. It is critical to recovery that all attempts are made to alleviate the stroke survivor’s depression, as the depression can impede recovery. Depressed survivors may neglect medications or therapy, exacerbating the impact of the stroke. Common remedies for depression include counseling, church, and social stimulation.

Sources

Stroke Risk Factors, American Heart Association

Types of Stroke, National Stroke Association

About Stroke, The Internet Stroke Center

Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD and David Zieve, MD, MHA, Hemorrhagic Stroke, Medline Plus

Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD and David Zieve, MD, MHA, Stroke, Medline Plus

Effects of Stroke, National Stroke Association

Life After Stroke: Survivor and Caregiver, National Stroke Association