Understanding the celebral stroke

What is a stroke?

A stroke happens when blood flow to a brain part is interrupted as an outcome of a blocked or ruptured blood vessel. Brain cells that do not get a continue supply of oxygenated blood may die, causing real damage to the brain.

There are two types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic.

A hemorrhagic stroke happens when a blood vessels in the brain breaks or ruptures, permitting blood to leak into the brain.

An ischemic stroke happens when a blood carrying blood to the brain is restricted or blocked by extremely narrowed arteries or a thickened mass of blood known as blood clot. Clogged arteries: Cholesterol, fat and other substances can collect on the walls of the blood vessels. Overtime, these substances strong and form structures known as plaque. The build-up of fat deposits and plaque clog arteries, stop the passageway for blood.

Blood clots: When a clot forms in a cerebral blood vessels that is already extremely narrow, it is known as celebral stroke. When, a blood clot that has formed elsewhere in the body breaks away and moves to a blood vessel in the brain, the outcome is an embolic cerebral stroke. An embolic stroke may also outcome from an air bubble or other foreign substance in the blood that moves into and stops a cerebral blood vessel.

How is a stroke treated? A stroke is a medical emergency. Quick treatment can keep lives and decrease disability. Treatment depends on the type and severity of stroke. Treatment will target on restoring blood flow for an ischemic stroke and on stopping bleeding and decreasing pressure on the brain in a hemorrhagic stroke.

If a stroke is caused by a blood issue, the patient may be capable to get a clot-busting drug such as t-PA to dissolve the clot and support restore blood flow to the destroyed area of the brain. Clot-busting drugs, which can just be given within the first few hours of stroke onset, are generally delivered intravenously by emergency medical personnel or in the hospital emergency department.

Patients may also get blood-thinning drugs such as warfarin or aspirin, clopidogrel or heparin.

Following a stroke, many patients will get post-stroke rehabilitation to overcome disabilities that may happen as an outcome of the stroke. Post stroke treatment may also have efforts to stop another stroke by eliminating or controlling risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.