| Medical Dictionary |
A Medical Dictionary of Medical Terminology
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A stroke happens when there is a loss of blood flow to part of the brain. Your brain cells cannot get the oxygen and nutrients they need from blood, and they start to die within a few minutes. This can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death.
If you think that you or someone else is having a stroke, call 911 right away. Immediate treatment may save someone's life and increase the chances for successful rehabilitation and recovery.
What are the types of stroke?There are two types of stroke:
Another condition that's similar to a stroke is a transient ischemic attack (TIA). It's sometimes called a "mini-stroke." TIAs happen when the blood supply to the brain is blocked for a short time. The damage to the brain cells isn't permanent, but having a TIA puts you at much higher risk of having a stroke.
Who is at risk for a stroke?Certain factors can raise your risk of a stroke. The major risk factors include:
There are also other factors that are linked to a higher risk of stroke, such as:
The symptoms of a stroke often happen quickly. They include:
The F.A.S.T. test can help you remember what to look for if you think someone is having a stroke. Think "FAST" and look for:
If you think that you or someone else is having a stroke, call 911 right away. Every minute counts during a stroke.
How are strokes diagnosed?To make a diagnosis, your health care provider will
Treatments for stroke include medicines, surgery, and rehabilitation. Which treatments you get depend on the type of stroke and the stage of treatment. The different stages are:
Acute treatments for ischemic stroke are usually medicines:
Acute treatments for hemorrhagic stroke focus on stopping the bleeding. The first step is to find the cause of bleeding in the brain. The next step is to control it:
Stroke rehabilitation can help you relearn skills you lost because of the damage. The goal is to help you become as independent as possible and to have the best possible quality of life.
Prevention of another stroke is also important, since having a stroke increases the risk of getting another one. Prevention may include heart-healthy lifestyle changes and medicines.
Can strokes be prevented?If you have already had a stroke or are at risk of having a stroke, you can make some heart-healthy lifestyle changes to try to prevent a future stroke:
If these changes aren't enough, you may need medicine to control your risk factors.
NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
A stroke happens when there is a loss of blood flow to part of the brain. Your brain cells cannot get the oxygen and nutrients they need from blood, and they start to die within a few minutes. This can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death.
There are two main types of strokes, ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic stroke is the more common type. An ischemic stroke happens when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain. Quick treatment can save a life and improve the chances of recovery.
What causes an ischemic stroke?Ischemic strokes are usually caused by one or more of the following:
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is caused by a brief blockage of blood flow to the brain. It usually lasts a few minutes. Having a TIA can mean you are at risk for having a more serious stroke.
What are the symptoms of ischemic stroke?Symptoms of stroke often happen suddenly. They include:
If you think someone is having a stroke, the F.A.S.T. test can help you remember what to look for. Think "FAST" and look for:
To make a diagnosis, your health care provider may do a physical exam, ask about your symptoms and medical history, and use imaging tests. Other heart tests may be done to help find the cause of the stroke.
How is an ischemic stroke treated?It is important to treat strokes as quickly as possible. The most common treatments include:
After treatment, rehabilitation can help you regain lost skills and independence. Your provider may also order other medicines to manage your blood pressure,cholesterol, or other health problems such as diabetes that may increase your risk for stroke.
Can an ischemic stroke be prevented?The best way to prevent stroke is by making heart-healthy lifestyle changes to lower your risk. If lifestyle changes aren't enough, your provider may prescribe medicine to help manage your risk factors.
NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
A stroke happens when there is a loss of blood flow to part of the brain. Your brain cells cannot get the oxygen and nutrients they need from blood, and they start to die within a few minutes. This can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death.
There are two main types of strokes, ischemic and hemorrhagic. A hemorrhagic stroke is less common but often more severe. It occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, causing bleeding (hemorrhage) in or around the brain. This bleeding increases pressure inside the skull and damages brain tissue. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die.
What are the types of hemorrhagic stroke?Hemorrhagic strokes are classified by where the bleeding happens:
Common causes include:
Stroke symptoms often happen suddenly. They include:
The F.A.S.T. test can help you remember what to look for if you think someone is having a stroke. Think "FAST" and look for:
To make a diagnosis, your health care provider may do a physical exam, ask about your symptoms and medical history, and use imaging tests to check for bleeding in your brain.
How is hemorrhagic stroke treated?It is important to treat strokes as quickly as possible. For a hemorrhagic stroke, the first step is to find the cause of bleeding in the brain and stop it. Treatment may involve medicines or, in some cases, surgery to stop the bleeding or relieve pressure on the brain.
After the stroke, rehabilitation can help people recover lost abilities and regain independence.
Can a hemorrhagic stroke be prevented?The best way to prevent stroke is by making heart-healthy lifestyle changes to lower your risk. If lifestyle changes aren't enough, your provider may prescribe medicine to help manage your risk factors.
NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Stroke rehabilitation is a program for people who have had a stroke. A stroke happens when there is a loss of blood flow to part of the brain. Your brain cells cannot get the oxygen and nutrients they need from blood, and they start to die within a few minutes. This can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death.
Stroke rehabilitation can help you relearn skills you lost because of the damage. It can help with movement, speech, strength, and daily living skills. The goal is to help you become as independent as possible.
Who needs stroke rehabilitation?Rehabilitation is for people who have lost abilities needed for daily life. Stroke rehabilitation is recommended for anyone affected by stroke. Most people who take part in a treatment program recover better than those who don't.
The effects of a stroke depend on the parts of your brain that were affected. Your health care provider may recommend care based on your needs.
The types of disabilities a stroke can cause include:
The sooner you begin rehabilitation, the more likely you are to regain lost skills and abilities. Treatment may start while you're still in the hospital. Most likely it will begin within 24 to 48 hours after the stroke.
What does stroke rehabilitation include?The goal of rehabilitation is to help you get your abilities back and regain independence. But the specific goals vary for each person. Your treatment plan will depend on what part of your body or type of ability was affected by the stroke. It may include teaching you new ways to work with disabilities, such as using assistive devices to make it easier to do your usual activities.
A plan for stroke rehabilitation can involve many kinds of health professionals. They will work with you to figure out your needs, goals, and make a treatment plan. The types of treatments can include:
Rehabilitation may start while you're in the hospital. Once you're ready for discharge, you and your family will work with your provider to determine the best setting for your specific needs. These can include:
A stroke can cause various complications, and each person may recover at a different pace. The length of rehabilitation will depend on how bad the stroke was and any related complications.
Some people recover quickly after a stroke, but most people need some type of long-term rehabilitation. This can change as you progress and your needs change. Your willingness to work toward improvement and the support of your family and health care team will help you get the best results.
NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a stroke that lasts only a few minutes. It happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is briefly blocked. Symptoms of a TIA are like other stroke symptoms, but do not last as long. They happen suddenly, and include:
Most symptoms of a TIA disappear within an hour, although they may last for up to 24 hours. Because you cannot tell if these symptoms are from a TIA or a stroke, you should go to the hospital right away.
TIAs are often a warning sign for future strokes. Taking medicine, such as blood thinners, may reduce your risk of a stroke. Your doctor might also recommend surgery. You can also help lower your risk by having a healthy lifestyle. This includes not smoking, not drinking too much, eating a healthy diet, and exercising. It is also important to control other health problems, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol.
NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Your body normally cools itself by sweating. During hot weather, especially when it is very humid, sweating just isn't enough to cool you off. Your body temperature can rise to dangerous levels and you can develop a heat illness.
Most heat illnesses happen when you stay out in the heat too long. Exercising and working outside in high heat can also lead to heat illness. Older adults, young children, and those who are sick or overweight are most at risk. Taking certain medicines or drinking alcohol can also raise your risk.
Heat-related illnesses include:
You can lower your risk of heat illness by drinking fluids to prevent dehydration, replacing lost salt and minerals, and limiting your time in the heat.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Heart disease is a general term that includes many types of heart problems. It's a type of cardiovascular disease, which means heart and blood vessel disease.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but there are ways to prevent and manage many types of heart disease.
What are the types of heart disease?There are many different types of heart disease. Some you may be born with, called congenital heart disease. Other types develop during your lifetime.
Coronary artery disease (also called coronary heart disease) is the most common type of heart disease. It happens slowly over time when a sticky substance called plaque builds up in the arteries that supply your heart muscle with blood. The plaque narrows or blocks blood flow to the heart muscle and can lead to other heart problems:
Other types of heart diseases may affect your heart valves or heart muscle (cardiomyopathy).
What causes heart diseases?The causes of heart disease depend on the type of disease. Some possible causes include lifestyle, genetics, infections, medicines, and other diseases.
Who is more likely to develop heart diseases?There are many different factors that can make you more likely to develop heart disease. Some of these factors you can change, but others you cannot.
Your symptoms will depend on the type of heart disease you have. You may not have symptoms at first. In some cases, you may not know you have heart disease until you have a complication such as a heart attack.
How are heart diseases diagnosed?To find out if you have heart disease, your health care provider will:
In some cases, your provider may refer you to a cardiologist (a doctor who specializes in heart diseases) for tests, diagnosis, and care.
What are the treatments for heart disease?Treatment plans for heart disease depend on the type of heart disease you have, how serious your symptoms are, and what other health conditions you have. Possible treatments may include:
You may be able to lower your risk of certain heart diseases by making heart-healthy lifestyle changes and managing any other medical conditions you have.
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Your carotid arteries are two large blood vessels in your neck. They supply your brain and head with blood. If you have carotid artery disease, the arteries become narrow or blocked, usually because of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the buildup of plaque, which is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood.
Carotid artery disease is serious because it can block the blood flow to your brain, causing a stroke. Too much plaque in the artery can cause a blockage. You can also have a blockage when a piece of plaque or a blood clot breaks off the wall of an artery. The plaque or clot can travel through the bloodstream and get stuck in one of your brain's smaller arteries.
Carotid artery disease often does not cause symptoms until the blockage or narrowing is severe. One sign may be a bruit (whooshing sound) that your doctor hears when listening to your artery with a stethoscope. Another sign is a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a "mini-stroke." A TIA is like a stroke, but it only lasts a few minutes, and the symptoms usually go away within an hour. Stroke is another sign.
Imaging tests can confirm whether you have carotid artery disease.
Treatments may include:
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Aphasia is a language disorder that makes it hard for you to read, write, and say what you mean to say. Sometimes it makes it hard to understand what other people are saying, too. Aphasia is not a disease. It's a symptom of damage to the parts of the brain that control language.
The signs of aphasia depend on which part of the brain is damaged. There are four main types of aphasia:
In some cases, aphasia may get better on its own. But it can be a long-term condition. There's no cure, but treatment may help improve language skills.
What causes aphasia?Aphasia happens from damage to one or more parts of the brain involved with language. The damage may be from:
Anyone can have aphasia at any age, but most people with aphasia are middle-aged or older. Most aphasia happens suddenly from a stroke or brain injury. Aphasia from a brain tumor or other brain disorder may develop slowly over time.
How is aphasia diagnosed?If a health care provider sees signs of aphasia, the provider will usually:
If imaging shows signs of aphasia, more tests may be needed. These tests measure how much the brain damage has affected the ability to talk, read, write, and understand. In most cases, the tests are done by a speech-language pathologist or speech therapist (a specialist who treats speech and communication disorders).
What are the treatments for aphasia?Some people fully recover from aphasia without treatment. But most people should begin speech-language therapy to treat aphasia as soon as possible.
Treatment may be one-on-one with a speech therapist or in a group. Therapy using a computer may also be helpful.
The specific therapy depends on the type of language loss that a person has. It may include exercises in reading, writing, following directions, and repeating what the therapist says. Therapy may also include learning how to communicate with gestures, pictures, smartphones, or other electronic devices.
Family participation may be an important part of speech therapy. Family members can learn to help with recovery in many ways, such as:
How much a person recovers depends on many things, including:
You can help prevent aphasia by:
NIH: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
Each year almost 800,000 Americans have a heart attack. A heart attack happens when blood flow to the heart suddenly becomes blocked. Without the blood coming in, the heart can't get oxygen. If not treated quickly, the heart muscle begins to die. But if you do get quick treatment, you may be able to prevent or limit damage to the heart muscle. That's why it's important to know the symptoms of a heart attack and call 911 if you or someone else is having them. You should call, even if you are not sure that it is a heart attack.
The most common symptoms in men and women are:
You may also have other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and lightheadedness. You may break out in a cold sweat. Sometimes women will have different symptoms then men. For example, they are more likely to feel tired for no reason.
The most common cause of heart attacks is coronary artery disease (CAD). With CAD, there is a buildup of cholesterol and other material, called plaque, on their inner walls or the arteries. This is atherosclerosis. It can build up for years. Eventually an area of plaque can rupture (break open). A blood clot can form around the plaque and block the artery.
A less common cause of heart attack is a severe spasm (tightening) of a coronary artery. The spasm cuts off blood flow through the artery.
At the hospital, health care providers make a diagnosis based on your symptoms, blood tests, and different heart health tests. Treatments may include medicines and medical procedures such as coronary angioplasty. After a heart attack, cardiac rehabilitation and lifestyle changes can help you recover.
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute