Lesson Two - Cardio-Pulmonary
Stroke
What is it?
Earlier you learned that a heart attack is when a blockage in the coronary artery prevents nutrients and oxygen-rich blood from getting to the heart.
Another risk of plaque and artery blockage is a stroke. This happens in a very similar way to a heart attack; plaque builds up and causes a blockage which prevents oxygen and nutrient-rich blood from reaching parts of the brain which causes a loss of brain function.
A second type of stroke is a hemorrhagic stroke which causes bleeding in the brain, or between the brain and skull, as a result of a weakened blood vessel.
While the initial stroke is an acute event, the effects are usually chronic.
Another risk of plaque and artery blockage is a stroke. This happens in a very similar way to a heart attack; plaque builds up and causes a blockage which prevents oxygen and nutrient-rich blood from reaching parts of the brain which causes a loss of brain function.
A second type of stroke is a hemorrhagic stroke which causes bleeding in the brain, or between the brain and skull, as a result of a weakened blood vessel.
While the initial stroke is an acute event, the effects are usually chronic.
Courtesy of MyHealth.Alberta.ca.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made in affiliation with or without the endorsement of Alberta Health or AHS.
Courtesy of Heart and Stroke Foundation Canada 2017.
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Call 911 immediately if a person is experiencing any of these symptoms.
Signs and symptoms of stroke happen quickly and may include:
- sudden numbness, tingling, weakness, or loss of movement in your face, arm, or leg, especially on only one side of the body
- sudden vision changes
- sudden difficulty speaking
- sudden confusion or trouble understanding simple statements
- sudden problems with walking or balance
- sudden, severe headache that is different from past headaches
Call 911 immediately if a person is experiencing any of these symptoms.
The chronic effects of a stroke are dependent upon how severe the damage is and where in the brain the bleed occurred. The severity of long-term damage is dependent upon a number of things, including:
- location of the bleed
- how quickly treatment occurred
- how fast blood was restored to the area
- the ability of the other parts of the brain to take over for the damaged area
- how quickly rehabilitation was started