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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