Strokes: The Four Leading Cause Of Death

Superior Essays
“During a stroke, 32,000 brain cells per second (1.9 million per minute) die” (Loyola University Health System, 2014). Strokes have become a concern in modern America, with great reason. Strokes are called many different names and have a lot of confusion with the different names. Strokes have an immense number of different causes and can also vary on the type of stroke. The body is greatly affected by having a stroke, with effects that can last a lifetime. With technology advancing there are more treatment plans and options that are being implemented into society. There are ways of preventing strokes, but some strokes are unexplainable. Understanding what a stroke is and what is happening with a stroke, could be something that could help an …show more content…
“Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States (behind heart disease and cancer) and the leading cause of long-term disability; Stroke kills about 137,000 U.S. citizens each year, or almost one out of four stroke victims” (Blaser, 2014). With strokes being the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, the causes of a stroke should be obvious. The abstract ideas of some of the causes are actually backed by scientific evidence. “Higher pollution levels were linked to a higher total number of strokes, and researchers said it reaffirmed the growing evidence that climate change and overall air quality contributes to cardiovascular disease, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association 's International Stroke Conference 2016 (American Heart Association). The causes can be generalized into types based off of how the patient …show more content…
When a stroke occurs time is precious when trying to reverse effects or stop them from happening. Blood circulation to the area of the brain served by that artery stops at the point of disturbance, and the brain tissue beyond that is damaged or dies. This is one reason why prompt treatment can have such a dramatic effect on final recovery from a stroke (Blaser, 2014). When a patient is experiencing a transient ischemic attack symptoms such as unexplained dizziness, blurring of vision, loss of hearing will occur. It is important to see a doctor as quick as possible and plan for prevention of a full on stroke. In a hemorrhagic stroke the doctor may need to do surgery to stop the bleeding within the brain. Time is the patient’s best chance to prevent the brain from swelling with blood. With thrombotic strokes, if treated quickly enough can minimize some damages. Although time is the most important part of limiting damages, the treatment itself is very

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The most common cause of a stroke is from atheroma, or plaque buildup on the artery wall leading to narrowing and then finally an infarction of the brain, or a stroke (VanMeter & Hubert, 2014, p. 347). The progression of an atherosclerosis, starts with damage to the endothelium of the artery (VanMeter & Hubert, 2014, p. 235). This leads to inflammation and an accumulation of lipids, and white blood cells in the (middle) muscle layer of the vessel (VanMeter & Hubert, 2014, p. 235). This leads to further inflammation and plaque buildup (VanMeter…

    • 1404 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Stroke Case Study

    • 1607 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Case Study Assignment #1- Stroke Patient Assessment Introduction Stroke is the single leading cause of adult disability in Canada, also accounting for one third of all deaths (Ontario Stroke Network, 2017). Approximately 14,000 Canadians die from strokes annually, and around 430,000 Canadians live with the debilitating effects of stroke (Ontario Stroke Network, 2017). For the purpose of this assignment and to maintain patent confidentiality, the examined patient will be referred to as a pseudonym of “FA”.…

    • 1607 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    Hypertension accounts for the majority of ischemic CVAs or strokes. According to the American Heart Association, ischemic strokes are “caused by narrowed or clogged blood vessels in the brain that cut off the blood flow to the brain cells”("Stroke and High Blood Pressure," 2016, p. 1). The following are the main causes of ischemic stroke: • Thrombosis: An obstruction of a blood vessel leading to localized occlusion. A common cause is atherosclerosis, which can lead to narrowing of the diseased blood vessel. Blood flow may be restricted as platelets adhere to atherosclerotic plaque forming a clot.…

    • 1301 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Massage Therapy

    • 635 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The leading cause of long term disability in the United States is stroke, and one American dies from stroke about every four minutes. Stroke by definition is the sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen. The main types of stoke are hemorrhagic, ischemic, and a transient ischemic attack. Hemorrhagic stroke is broken in to two types, and the most common is the intracerebral hemorrhage, when an artery in the brain bursts flooding the brain with blood. The second and less common subarachnoid hemorrhage, when bleeding occurs in the area between the brain and the thin tissue that covers it.…

    • 635 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    "Brain injury referred to as traumatic brain injury (TBI), is defined as an alteration in brain function or other evidence of brain pathology caused by an external force. Acquired brain injury (ABI), is defined as an injury to the brain which is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative or induced by birth trauma. Today, any traumatic brain injury is an acquired brain injury, defined as any acquired disruption of brain function. " Causes of TBI are trauma (open, closed, crushed, penetration: gunshot or knife wound, severe shaking or from contact sports), stroke (bleeding or a blocked artery), Anoxia (absence of oxygen), severe infection (meningitis, encephalitis), tumor (compression on the tissues causing malfunction), surgery (the actual cutting into a brain to remove a tumor or piece of the brain).…

    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    CINAHL Is User Friendly

    • 199 Words
    • 1 Pages

    There are modifiable risk factors such as eating healthy and regular exercise and non-modifiable factors such as our age and our family history that can contribute to a stroke. You cannot change your age or your family but there are stroke risk factors that you can regulate if you know what they are. Dreyer et al. (2014) states that the therapeutic strategies for stroke are centered on prevention and treatment of stroke. Primary and secondary prevention of stroke includes lifestyle modification and measures to control risk factors such as hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes, and atrial fibrillation (Dreyer et al., 2014).…

    • 199 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    If this blockage persists for more than a few minutes the brain cells may begin to die and serious damage can be done. Due to this, immediate medical treatment must be taken to minimize brain damage and potential complications. Ischemic stroke can be caused by various diseases. The most common problem is the narrowing of the arteries in the neck or head, often caused by atherosclerosis.…

    • 553 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As per your request, I have reviewed Aaron Green’s medical care rendered from 4/29/15 to 6/10/15 to determine if Mr. Green would have been a candidate for drugs to combat his stroke if he had received medical care sooner. Signs and symptoms of stroke include sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body, confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech, trouble seeing in one or both eyes, trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination, or a sudden severe headache with no known cause. The risk factors for stroke include hypertension, cigarette smoking, heart disease, diabetes, cholesterol imbalance, inactivity and obesity. During a stroke every minute counts, requiring fast treatment to reduce the…

    • 2491 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Anabolic Strokes

    • 1124 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the U.S., accounting for 140,000 deaths each year in the U.S., and over 5 million worldwide. They are caused by blood clots or vessel ruptures in the brain, causing the death of the surrounding brain cells. There are two types of strokes: ischemic strokes and hemorrhagic strokes. Ischemic strokes are caused by blot clots that form in the brain, called thrombotic strokes, or form in other body parts and travel to the brain, called embolic strokes. This type of stroke accounts for 87% of all stroke cases.…

    • 1124 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Cerebrovascular accident (stroke) death occurs when you have a sudden death in brain cells due to the lack oxygen. An artery of the brain is ruptured or the brain is impaired by a blockage when there is a lack of oxygen. Cerebrovascular accident (stroke) is associated with and also the medical term for having a stroke. There are certain important signs that you should pay attention and watch out for when associated with cerebrovascular accident (stroke) signs and symptoms of cerebrovascular accident are numbness and weakness in the face, arm, leg or usually one side of the body. Feeling numbness on one side of your body is probably one of the biggest signs associated with the cerebrovascular accident disease.…

    • 207 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the United States, stroke is the third-leading cause of death. Every forty seconds, someone suffers a stroke, while every four minutes, someone dies of a stroke. With this being the case, stroke knowledge is very important for people of all ages, gender, and race. Knowing the warning signs and ways to prevent could potentially save lives. A majority of Americans do not know the symptoms of a stroke.…

    • 422 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Conflict Theory Of Stroke

    • 1418 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Stroke: The Sociology Behind It According to John Hopkins Medicine (n.d.), Hippocrates, the father of medicine, discovered stroke about 2400+ years ago, but at the time, the Greek referred to stroke as apoplexy which meant “struck down by violence”. Sometimes referred to as a brain attack, stroke is a cerebrovascular disease that damages portions of the brain because of the tremendous loss of blood vessels individuals experience. Some sources label stroke as a chronic disease and others label it as an acute disease. Conclusively, as implied, this disease has tormented many individuals of many ages for a long period of time, and this paper addresses the sociological rather than the medical aspect of a stroke.…

    • 1418 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The movie that we viewed in class was My Beautiful Broken Brain. This film was mainly about Lotje Sodderland, and how she had experienced an intracerebral brain hemorrhage or a stroke. The film allows us to see what it was like along the road of recovery with her and all the struggles she underwent. A stroke, also known as cerebrovascular accident, is one of the most frequent cause of brain damage (Gilliam & Marquardt, 2016). There are multiple types of strokes (Gilliam & Marquardt, 2016).…

    • 1449 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    The blood carries nutrients and oxygen is pumped from the heart to the brain through the arteries. The faulty blood flow results in brain cells damage or death. Around 85% of strokes are ischaemic stroke as an effect of blood clot. However, the rest of 15% of strokes are haemorrhagic that could be either Intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) a bleed within the brain or Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) a bleeding on the brain caused by a ruptured blood…

    • 1412 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Hemorrhagic Stroke Essay

    • 1061 Words
    • 4 Pages

    There are two main kinds of strokes: ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic stroke is the main kind of strokes and it takes up to 80% of all strokes. It is caused by a blockage of blood flow of part of the brain and therefore, results in death of parts of brain tissue. The other kind of stroke is hemorrhagic stroke, which is caused by bleeding.…

    • 1061 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays

Related Topics