What is a Stroke - Introduction

by Webmaster, All4NaturalHealth.com

What is a stroke? Think about what happens to the heart in the case of a heart attack, and a stroke is not too dissimilar - it is pretty much what happens to the brain instead. While this is not a technical stroke definition, it gives you an idea of what strokes are.

During a stroke, because of a blood clot or a hemorrhage in one's blood vessel, part of a person's brain suddenly loses its supply of oxygen. In the process, brain cells in that area could die.

Strokes are a deadly killer disease in the modern world today; together with cancer and heart disease, strokes are among the top killers in developed nations.

Often, however, strokes are not fatal, and the negative effects of a stroke attack very much depend on the area of the brain which has suffered damage. Some possible effects of strokes are coma, paralysis, speech problems, as well as mental issues, such as dementia.

What is a stroke attack's long-term effect? During a stroke, vital oxygen supply to affected parts of the brain gets cut off, and this can result in permanent or near-permanent damage to certain bodily functions. Further, persons who have been hit by strokes are very susceptible to another attack. Even among survivors, the after-effects are not great - as mentioned earlier, many stroke victims are hit by speech problems or paralysis, either partial or in full.

Different Types of Strokes

There are two main types of strokes, ischemic strokes, which occur when a blood clot blocks the supply of blood to the brain, or a hemorrhagic stroke, when a blood vessel bringing blood to the brain bursts. Either way, vital blood and oxygen supply to the brain is cut off.

It is estimated that about 80% of all stroke attacks are ischemic strokes, with the remaining 20% being hemorrhagic strokes.

What is a stroke attack's main cause? The main underlying cause of ischemic strokes is probably atherosclerosis, a condition whereby blood vessel walls thicken or "harden". This reduces the cross-sectional area of the blood vessels, thereby restricting blood flow to important parts of the body. This narrowed passage is also more susceptible to becoming blocked, quite often due to the occurrence of a blood clot.

The brain cells need a constant supply of oxygen to stay alive. When their supply is cut off, either because of bleeding or clotting, they begin to malfunction in a matter of seconds. Within minutes, the affected brain cells could begin to die. The part of the body corresponding to that part of the brain then becomes impaired in its function.

Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIA)

In considering what is a stroke, we should also take note of transient ischemic attacks, or TIA for short, a condition whereby blood supply to the brain is only temporarily cut off, and an effected person may quickly experience an easing of symptoms and recovery; with TIAs come certain neurological symptoms. This is as opposed to a cerebral vascular accident (CVA), whereby the loss of blood supply to the brain is prolonged enough to cause brain cells in a certain part of the brain to die.

While TIAs are nowhere as serious as actual strokes, they are still very poignant warning signs; if you have suffered from a TIA, it is time to sit up, take notice and start making some serious changes to your diet and lifestyle.

Stroke is a serious thing to get afflicted by, and you really want to take preventive steps to avoid ever getting hit, rather than having to do your best to recover from or manage an attack.

To better understand what is a stroke and how to prevent and deal with it, read the other related stroke pages.

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Some Related Stroke Pages

What is a Stroke - Introduction

Common Cause of Stroke - Causes of Strokes

Signs and Symptoms of Stroke

Tips on Prevention of Strokes

Tips on Management of Stroke