what is a stroke?
Picture 1
A stroke occurs when there is blocked or reduced blood flow to the brain. This kills brain cells by depriving them of oxygen which can be life-altering, or even deadly. It is a leading cause of death not only in the United States, but in many other countries as well. There are two main types of stroke, ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes are the more common type and they occur when a blood clot is blocking blood flow to the brain. Hemorrhagic strokes occur when a weak blood vessel in the brain bursts open and blood leaks into the brain. There are sub types of each of these, but this site will be focused on these two main types. Also, sometimes a transient ischemic attack (TIA) occurs, however the symptoms of these usually go away in about thirty minutes. Treatment is still advised for them however because they are often a "warning stroke" or "mini stroke". According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 795,000 Americans a year experience stroke and one American dies from stroke every four minutes.
This site is broken down into three themes designed to help you get an overall view of strokes. Basically, it is broken down by the progression of a stroke from before it occurs (life style and risk factors), to during/after (treatments and timing), to life after the stroke (recovery and changes).
This site is broken down into three themes designed to help you get an overall view of strokes. Basically, it is broken down by the progression of a stroke from before it occurs (life style and risk factors), to during/after (treatments and timing), to life after the stroke (recovery and changes).
My Grandma and I
The reason that I am interested in this topic is because my grandma had a stroke in 2011, and has not been the same since. Her stroke has had a tremendous impact not only on her life, but on the rest of my family as well. I wanted to learn more so that I could help her cope and work through the struggles of recovery. This is a picture of us on Easter 2013.