How Stroke Affects The Brain

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Stroke Imagine yourself sitting in a classroom, when all of sudden you notice the person next you struggling to move or speak. Little did you know that a stroke is occurring right in front of you and you’re trying to figure out what to do to help. Like most of us, all we know about stroke’s are that they affect the brain and that they are a very serious condition to a person health and well-being. Unfortunately, about one year ago, one of our grandmothers suffered a catastrophic stroke that led to partial paralysis, physical and mental disabilities as well as a speech impediment. Did you know that every 53 seconds, someone in America has a stroke? About 600,000 people will have a stroke per year and 160,000 of them will die (plazamedicalcenter.com).…show more content…
A stroke occurs when there is an impeded supply of oxygen rich blood to the brain; thus, in order for our brain cells to function correctly, this supply must be constant. If our brain cells become deprived for more than a few minutes, they die. Our brains account for 25% of the body’s oxygen supply but unfortunately the brain does not store that oxygen. If this flow of oxygenated blood flow in interrupted just briefly the results can be devastating and sometimes lifelong. A stroke is usually classified as being either ischemic or hemorrhagic depending on whether there is a blood clot or internal bleeding in the brain. In an ischemic stroke, the blood vessel becomes a clot, which in turn blocks the artery and blood flow to the brain. Ischemic strokes are usually caused by atherosclerosis (narrowing of blood vessels), constricting the blood flow to the brain. 80% of all strokes are ischemic, but those who have this type of stroke have a much better chance of survival than those who experience a hemorrhagic…show more content…
This type of stroke causes an increased pressure on the brain and spasms in the blood vessels, both in which can be very dangerous (plazamedicalcenter.com). Those individuals who survive a hemorrhagic stroke have a higher chance at recovering better functions (motor skills & body movement) than those who have suffered an ischemic stroke. On the flip side, those who suffer hemorrhagic stroke have a much higher chance at a reoccurring stroke, where the probability is at 22% within a five-year window. Especially those individuals with diabetes and in the

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