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Stroke awareness is one of the biggest issues in today's
society. Too few people realize how serious of a problem
stroke is until it happens to them, someone in their family or to a
loved one. The Stroke Network has been working on-line with
those affected by stroke for over 20 years.
Our
mission with this stroke awareness website is to provide you with the
facts of what makes stroke such a terrible disease. Please
visit our website about
stroke education to provide you with the best educational
explanation, including our A to Z Glossary, of definitions of
terminology about stroke.
A
stroke or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is most
often due to a sudden interruption of blood flow to the brain caused
when the arteries to
the brain become narrowed or blocked, causing severely
reduced blood flow (ischemic).
Or when a blood vessel in the brain leaks, causing blood to spill in
the surrounding spaces of the brain tissue (hemorrhagic)
resulting in damage to the affected part of the brain.
Injury to the brain tissue can result in
many serious physical and
cognitive deficits. How a person recovers from
a stroke depends on the area of the brain involved and the extent of
damage done. Stroke is one of the common causes of disability in adults
and is the third leading cause of death in the country.
Stroke
requires immediate medical attention. The sooner treatment is received,
the better the chances of survival. Because of improved treatment
methods, less than three out of ten people who suffer a stroke die from
the experience.
Thrombolytic therapy
is the use of drugs to break-up the clot that is causing the disruption
in blood flow to the brain.
It is
crucial, imperative, and very important that you immediately go to the
hospital when you first notice the warning signs of a stroke. The
length of time between the first warning signs and the time you get to
a hospital may be the difference between a good or poor outcome.
Patients who present to the hospital within 3 hours of the first sign
of a stroke have the possibility to receive Tissue
Plasminogen Activator (tPA).
There are
many factors that determine whether or not a patient is able to receive
thrombolytic therapy. One of these factors, that you have control of,
is the amount of time between the onset of symptoms and presentation to
the hospital. If you get to the hospital within the 3 hour time frame
and the doctor determines you are able to receive this clot-buster, you
may have a better recovery.
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