Skip to main content

Strokes

 

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted, resulting in insufficient oxygen and nutrients for the brain cells. This causes the brain cells to die. 


There are two main types of stroke: an ischemic stroke (caused by a blocked artery) or a haemorraghic stroke (caused by a burst blood vessel). 


Ischemic stroke is more common, and occurs when the blood vessels become narrowed due to the build up of fatty deposits or by blood clots. 


On the other hand, haemorrhagic strokes can result from many different factors, such as uncontrolled hypertension, aneurysms and trauma. 


Strokes can occur at any time. Early action is paramount to effective treatment. Hence it is crucial to be able to spot the signs of stroke. After a stroke occurs, the patient may have trouble speaking, seeing and walking and may experience paralysis on one side of the body. 


The patient should be rushed to the hospital immediately. Strokes can lead to temporary or permanent disabilities. These include paralysis and memory loss.


Sources:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stroke/symptoms-causes/syc-20350113

https://www.healthline.com/health/stroke

https://www.medicinenet.com/stroke_symptoms_and_treatment/article.htm

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects one’s movements. Parkinson’s disease signs and symptoms are different for every individual and may go unnoticed in the early stage. Symptoms typically start on one side of the body and remain worse on that side even after the symptoms begin appearing in both sides of the body.  Generally, the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include tremors, slowed movement, rigid muscles, impaired posture and balance, loss of automatic movements such as blinking or swinging of arms when walking, and speech and writing changes.  Parkinson’s disease occurs when neurons in an area of the brain that controls movement becomes impaired or dies. These neurons normally produce dopamine. As more neurons become impaired or die, the amount of dopamine produced in the body is reduced significantly, causing the movement problems associated with Parkinson’s disease.  People with Parkinson’s also lose the nerve endings that produce norepinephri
Post a Comment
Read more

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a hearing condition often described as ringing in the ears. Tinnitus can also cause other types of noise in your ears such as: buzzing, roaring, clicking, hissing and humming.  The pitch heard from tinnitus can vary from a high squeal to a low roar, this can affect the patient’s ability to detect tinnitus from external sounds Tinnitus can develop gradually over time or occur suddenly. It is often associated with: age-related hearing loss, inner ear damage, earwax build-up and middle ear infection However, one in every three people with tinnitus doesn't have any obvious problem with their ears or hearing. Sources: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tinnitus/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350162 http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/understanding-tinnitus-basics
Post a Comment
Read more

Pompe Disease

Pompe disease is a rare genetic condition where the body is unable to break down complex sugars. This is due to a deficiency in an enzyme called acid alfa glucosidase (GAA). Mutations in the GAA gene causes this disorder and results in a build up of glycogen in cells.  Pompe disease can appear in patients from within a few months of birth, at about 1 years old and even during the teenage years.  Those with Pompe disease usually inherit the disease from their parents. However, the allele for the disease is recessive, and may not be expressed in the parents. This disease is typically associated with weak muscles, poor muscle tone and an enlarged liver. However, there are many complications with regards to the respiratory system and motor skills which can also develop.  Enzyme replacement treatment is used for all Pompe patients. A drug called aglucosidase alfa is given intravenously, which acts as a replacement for GAA. Sources: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15808-pompe-
Post a Comment
Read more