Stroke/ Cerebrovascular Disease
Cerebrovascular disease, commonly known as stroke, represents a group of conditions and disorders that impact blood vessels in the brain, causing an abrupt disruption of blood supply to the brain cells and tissues. When deprived of oxygen and nutrients, brain cells start to die immediately. If the deprivation occurs for an extended period, permanent brain damage can occur. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ranks stroke as the fifth leading cause of death in America, with about 795,000 fatalities a year.
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Types of Stroke
There are two major types of stroke, ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke, accounting for about 80% of all stroke cases in America. It occurs when a clot in the brain artery abruptly blocks the flow of blood to the brain. Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when blood vessels in the brain burst, causing bleeding and hemorrhaging in the brain tissues. Hemorrhagic stroke can further be categorized into intracerebral and subarachnoid hemorrhages. In an intracerebral hemorrhage, blood pours directly inside the brain tissues causing compressions. However, in subarachnoid hemorrhage, bleeding occurs in the membrane surrounding the brain.
Signs and Symptoms of a Stroke
Symptoms vary depending on the location of the blockage and the extent of the impact. However, typical signs and symptoms of stroke include unexpected body paralysis or numbness accompanied by severe headache, blurred vision, nausea, dizziness, slurred speech, confusion, and loss of balance when walking. Stroke often attacks one side of the body.
Causes, Risk Factors, and Complications
Stroke can develop from various causes, including arteriosclerosis, which is the narrowing of arteries. Narrowed arteries increase the pressure of blood flow, causing a rapture. Stroke can also result from thrombosis or an embolic arterial clot where a blood clot occurs in an artery that supplies blood to the brain.
All strokes damage brain tissues with the possibility of irreversible disability or death. When the blood flow to the brain is temporarily disrupted, a minor stroke called Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) occurs. TIA has short-lasting symptoms that resolve in less than one hour. However, the severity of a stroke is determined by the part of the brain affected and the deprivation period. Risk factors include unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, alcohol and drug abuse, and underlying conditions like blood pressure, diabetes, and sickle cell.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Stroke
Because stroke attacks are unpredictable, diagnosis entails medical analysis of symptoms before the attack. The medical history of the patient, coupled with physical and medical examination, also helps in diagnosis. Treatment for stroke depends on the type of stroke. Ischemic stroke is commonly treated using blood thinners, which help dissolve the clot, restoring blood flow. For hemorrhagic stroke, drugs that lower blood flow pressure in the brain caused by bleeding are used. However, in emergencies, surgery may be used to remove the clot and repair the ruptured vessels.
References
American Diabetes Association. “9. Cardiovascular disease and risk management.” Diabetes care 40.Supplement 1 (2017): S75-S87.
Martins, Bárbara, et al. “Data Mining for Cardiovascular Disease Prediction.” Journal of Medical Systems 45.1 (2021): 1-8.
Frontera, Jennifer A., et al. “Risk factors, mortality, and timing of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke with left ventricular assist devices.” The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation 36.6 (2017): 673-683.
