2. WHAT IS A STROKE?
Stroke is a cardiovascular disease that
occurs when there is an interruption of
blood flow to the brain. This is usually
caused by a blood clot in an artery or
when a blood vessel is ruptured. When
that happens, brain cells begin to die and
brain damage can occur.
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5. ISCHEMIC STROKE
Ischemic strokes are
caused by a thrombus
(blood clot that forms
in the brain) or
embolus (clot that
forms somewhere in
the body and travels to
the brain.
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6. WARNING SIGNS
• numbness or weakness of face, arm, or leg,
especially on one side of the body
• confusion, or trouble talking or understanding
speech
• trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or
coordination
• severe headache with no known cause
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7. TREATABLE RISK FACTORS
• High blood pressure
• Cigarette smoking
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Being overweight or obese
• Physical inactivity
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8. TREATABLE RISK FACTORS
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Cardiovascular disease, including heart failure,
heart defects, heart infection or abnormal heart
rhythm
• Use of some birth control pills or hormone
therapies that include estrogen
• Heavy or binge drinking
• Use of drugs such as cocaine and
methamphetamines
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9. OTHER RISK FACTORS
• The risk of stroke most often occurs between the
ages of 55 and 85
• Men have a higher risk of stroke than women
• Women have a higher chance of death from stroke
than men
• African-Americans have higher risk of stroke than
people of other races
• Family history of strokes
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10. PREVENTING A STROKE
• See a doctor about any of the treatable risk factors
mentioned on slides 7 and 8
• Work on controlling high-risk behaviors such as
smoking, heavy drinking, drugs, or physical
inactivity
• If you have stroke once but recover, quickly seek
medical help - a second stroke is likely to happen
but worse
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11. TREATMENT FOR STROKES
Treatment for a stroke should take place in a
hospital initially. The faster you are treated the
better, to prevent permanent damage or
death. Treatment will be different depending
on whether you’ve had an ischemic or
hemorrhagic stroke. The doctor will use a CT
scan or MRI of your head to diagnose the type
of stroke.
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12. TREATMENT FOR STROKES
• Ischemic Stroke:
– Treatment focuses on restoring blood
flow
– A medicine called tissue plasminogen
activator can break up blood clots
– May also receive aspirin or another
antiplatelet medicine.
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13. TREATMENT FOR STROKES
• Hemorrhagic Stroke:
– Treatment focuses on controlling bleeding
– If the bleeding is due to a ruptured brain aneurysm,
surgery may be done
– Medicines may be given to control blood pressure,
brain swelling, blood sugar levels, fever, and seizures
– Surgery may be needed to remove blood that has built
up inside the brain and to lower pressure inside the
head
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14. SUMMARY OF A STROKE
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
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15. REFERENCES
webmd.com. (2005). Retrieved from
http://www.webmd.com/stroke/guide/stroke-
treatment-care
(n.d.). Rosland | lab. [0]. Retrieved from
http://www.strokegenomics.org/index.php?
page=about-stroke-genetics
Images: Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
Video: Nucleus Medical Media
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