- 1. Stroke FAQWhat Is Stroke And How ItAffects YOU
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For More Free Ebooks 3. Stroke Frequently Asked QuestionsHas stroke
affected your life? If it has, you want answers. This frequently
askedquestions guide will answer some of the more common questions
caregivers,patients, survivors and family members have when facing
stroke. Use theinformation in this free bonus to help you address
stroke in your life and helpprevent future stroke from destroying
your life, or that of a loved one.Q. What is a stroke?The American
Stroke Association, working with the American Heart
Association,define stroke as a type of heart disease that affects
the brain and arteries in thebody. Typically a stroke is an acute
condition that occurs when a clot blocks theflow of blood and
oxygen to the brain, or when a blood vessel ruptures and
thenprevents blood and oxygen from getting to the brain and
supplying nutrients tothe brain.A stroke can result in many
symptoms and much damage to the brain, dependingon its severity.
When a clot interrupts the blood flow and oxygen flow to the
brainwithin a vessel, doctors refer to this as an ischemic
stroke.If a vessel in the brain or body ruptures, and blood leaks
into the brain many referto this as a hemorrhagic stroke. Most
survivors suffer an ischemic stroke. Lessthan 20 percent of victims
suffer a hemorrhagic stroke.Q. What are transient strokes?Transient
ischemic or mini strokes are minor or minimal strokes that often
serveas a sign that a major stroke is pending. They result from
minor or short-termobstructions of oxygen, nutrients and blood to
the brain. A full stroke may follow amonth after such an attack or
after a series of these mini attacks. These miniattacks may also
precede a full stroke by just hours, which is one reason
earlyintervention is so important and critical to ones survival.Q.
Are there any warning signs of a stroke?TIAs or transient ischemic
attacks often serve as a warning sign of a stroke. Themost common
symptoms associated with these include: Numbness and tingling or
weakness in any of the limbs or on one side of the body. Acute
confusion that is intermittent. Brought To You
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speaking or understanding clearly what someone is saying, or
appearing dazed or confused. Difficulty seeing or sudden blindness
that passes. Feelings of dizziness or poor coordination. A very
severe headache, one many refer to as the worst headache of their
lives that comes on suddenly.The sooner you recognize these signs
and seek help, the less likely you are tosuffer severe side-effects
of a stroke. Patients treated early often experience veryhigh
recovery rates and enjoy a good quality of life following a stroke.
Somepeople do not want to see their doctor for fear that nothing is
wrong and they willwaste time. Never feel this way. It is always
better to be safe than to feel sorry.If you suspect something is
wrong, get it checked out immediately.Q. Can I prevent a
stroke?Early detection is critical to prevention, as is a good and
healthy lifestyle. Whilesome strokes simply happen, there are steps
people can take to prevent them.This is especially true of patients
who have suffered a stroke and want to preventa stroke from
recurring. Most patients who have had a stroke will be at
greaterrisk for having another stroke.Some treatments that can help
prevent recurrent strokes include: Antiplatelets these are
substances like aspirin that prevent the blood from clotting.
Anticoagulants products including warfarin that help reduce the
bodys ability to produce clots. Angioplasty In this procedure a
surgeon will implant a steel screen or stent into a patient that
may already suffer from heart disease to reduce the risk of artery
clogging fat build up, which can slow the supply of blood to the
brain. Surgical procedures for patients that have experienced a
hemorrhagic stroke a surgeon may place a structure at the base of
the neck to help prevent an aneurysm or leaking of blood into the
brain.Q. How many people have strokes in any given year? Brought To
You Bywww.Hachis.orgVisit Us For More Free Ebooks 5. Statistics
provided by the National Institutes of Health and other
organizationsincluding the American Heart Association suggest that
over 700,000 people areaffected by a stroke every year. Nearly
200,000 may die or suffer debilitatingconsequences. Stroke is the
#3 killer in the United States, with only heartdisease and cancer
ranking above it.Throughout the world the incidence of stroke is
much higher. Many factorscontribute to ones risk of stroke,
including hereditary factors, lifestyle factors andindependent
health factors.Q. My partner had a stroke. It has been very
difficult for me to cope. I feellike I dont have anyone I can talk
to that can relate. I dont want to placeany more burdens on my
partner who has already gone through so much.SUPPORT is an
important part of anyones journey, whether that support comesin the
way of patient support for stroke survivors or support for
caregivers andfamily members. It is often difficult to cope with
the changes that stroke bringsabout in ones life. Stroke does not
just impact the way the stroke survivor lives,but also the way
members of his or her family live. What can you do to
feelbetter?The best step you can take is to find a supportive group
of people to lean on intimes where you need support and assistance.
You can find support throughlocal community groups or online. One
great place to connect with other friendsand family members of
stroke survivors is: http://www.americanheart.org. Hereyou can look
for the AHA Stroke Connection, or call them at 1-800-553-6321
fordirect assistance and subscribe to a support group and magazine
committed toimproving the lives of survivors and their
families.Another place to look for help is the National Family
Caregivers Association, athttp://www.nfcacares.org where you will
find people able to direct you to theresources you need to find
answers to your questions.If you feel comfortable talking with your
own doctor (and you should) you can askyour doctor for a
recommendation to a local support group. Family counseling
orindependent therapy may also help you cope during the tough times
that follow astroke. A qualified therapist can help you and your
partner cope with feelings ofloss and confusion.Q. How do I know if
I am at risk for a stroke?Anyone can have a stroke, though
individuals over age 50 are more at risk thantheir younger
counterparts. In general, males are also more likely to be at risk
forstroke than females as are individuals with underlying health
conditions, includinghigh blood pressure, diabetes or a history of
stroke or heart disease. You can domany things to reduce your risk
of stroke even if you fall into these riskBrought To You By
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including eating well and exercising regularly. You should also
avoidsmoking and make sure you become aware of the primary signs
and symptomsof stroke, as early intervention is critical to a good
recovery.Q. What should I look for if I suspect a stroke?Usually a
patient has some warning signs of stroke before they have
one.Warning signs may include visual changes or blurry vision,
numbness andtingling in one or more of the appendages and hands,
weakness of muscles,slight facial droop or a very severe headache.
Post these signs somewhereclearly where anyone can see them so they
too know the early warning signs of astroke.A transient attack may
include any of these symptoms that last for severalminutes to half
an hour. Immediate medical attention is necessary. Many peoplewill
suffer a full-blown stroke after experiencing these symptoms. If
you haveother symptoms, including pain in your chest or pain that
radiates down one arm,you may be experiencing other cardiovascular
signs signaling another problem(like a pending heart
attack).Whenever you experience acute symptoms that seem out of
ordinary, you shouldconsult with a qualified medical provider as
soon as possible.Q. What will the doctor do if he or she suspects a
stroke?Typically a doctor will monitor a patient and perform
neurological tests to assesswhether any damage has occurred. If
there is evidence a person experienced anattack then the doctor
will look to find the cause and location of the problem (likea
blood clot) so they can then treat it as soon as possible. Some
examples oftests a physician might order include a CT scan that
takes X-ray pictures ofvarious parts of the body and can record the
exact location of an attack. MRIsare also helpful for providing
images of any clots or bleeding that may occur inthe brain.Q. Does
suffering a stroke mean living with a permanent disability?Many
patients endure disabilities following a stroke. Recent trends
however andstatistics prove that many patients improve following
rehabilitation. Others mayrespond well and heal relatively well
with very little intervention. Much of healingand the extent to
which one suffers disability depends on ones personal healthand
wellness before a stroke. In the worst circumstances, a stroke may
result inpermanent disability including paralysis, balance
problems, communicationproblems and weakness or muscle pain.Q. What
new treatments are available for stroke survivors? Brought To You
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treatments in development for stroke survivors. The goal ofmost
treatments is to improve the quality of life of the survivor and
increase theirchances of independent living. Currently new drug
therapies are being tested tohelp reduce the risk of stroke by
removing or dissolving clots in safer ways. Othertreatments
including use of Botox, commonly thought of as a cosmetictreatment,
may help reduce muscular spasticity experienced by stroke
survivors.Researchers are constantly seeking out new ways to
prevent strokes fromresulting in permanent damage by extending the
amount of time they havebetween symptoms and an attack to treat
patients correctly.Q. Can children suffer from a stroke?Anyone can
suffer a stroke. While strokes are more common in adults, they
arenot uncommon in young adults or children. The causes of stroke
in children areoften different from the causes in adults. Children
for example are more likely tosuffer from stroke resulting from a
congenital abnormality, or from infection withvarious childhood
diseases including varicella. Some studies suggest manyfactors
contribute to a childs risk including mutations of certain genes.
Bloodclotting disorders are another example of a risk factor that
may result in a strokein a child.For more information about
children and stroke visit the Childrens StrokeAssociation, located
at http://www.chasa.orgThere is also an online support group
available for families whose childrensuffered from stroke and
similar disorders available here:http://www.pediatricstroke.orgNo
matter who you are or how old you are, the best defense against
stroke isinformation. You have begun your journey right here, right
now, today by learningmore about stroke. Continue your journey by
reading Life After Stroke andlearning as much as you can about
stroke and stroke prevention from theNational Institutes of Health,
The American Heart Association and the NationalStroke
Association.As with any disease, knowledge is power. The more you
learn about stroke, thebetter prepared you will be to combat and
face it should it strike your family. Brought To You
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