Cardiovascular Diseases: Stroke
Cardiovascular diseases are any anomalies of the blood vessels or the heart. The most common cardiovascular condition is narrowing of the arterial vessels by fats or plaque, which impedes blood flow. There are different types of cardiovascular diseases, but stroke remains a focus for this paper. Stroke develops due to deprivation of oxygen in the brain, which if not addressed promptly, may lead to serious effects, even death (Cooper, et al., 2000).
Symptoms
The commonly noticeable signs include numbness of body parts such as the arms or legs (Cooper, et al., 2000). In most instances, paralysis occurs on one side of the body, which at times may be a warning for stroke or probably other medical conditions that require assistance. Another symptom is severe headaches that is accompanied by dizziness or vomiting (Cooper, et al., 2000). Headaches are normally random, there are no distinct time and may occur more frequently. Additionally, there might be experiences of dizziness that may cause loss of balance especially when walking or poor coordination in carrying out normal chores. Another definitive symptom of stroke is troubled speech. The normal perception someone has is interfered with and most times they tend to be absent minded and lack the ability to verbally communicate.
Causes
Stroke is associated with insufficient blood flow into the brain due to blocked artery, commonly referred to as ischemic stroke (Cooper, et al., 2000). Ischemic stroke is the most common form of stroke. Hemorrhagic stroke is a result of the rapture of blood vessels in the brain that are a result of high blood pressure, weak spots in the blood vessels, or over usage of anticoagulants.
Stroke is a result of daily lifestyles and some can be due to medical risk factors. Some lifestyle factors include overweight that is influenced by eating junk foods or ingestion of high calorie foods (Cooper, et al., 2000). Additionally, physical inactivity increases the chances of stroke, which is also related to obesity. Use of illicit drugs and heavy drinking may result in stroke. Other medical factors that may result in stroke are excessive use of anticoagulants. According to a research by Cooper et al. (2000), age is also a risk factor for stoke with those above 55 years being more prone to the development of stroke (Cooper, et al., 2000).
Impact on body systems
Depending on the type and intensity of stroke, the complications may be permanent or temporary varying with the time the brain lacks oxygen and what part of the brain is affected (Cooper, et al., 2000). Some of the common impacts include memory loss and poor judgment. It also causes paralysis and interferes with movement, speech, and awareness. People who have suffered from stroke may lack the ability of self-care, become withdrawn, and impulsive; thus require constant help for daily activities (Cooper, et al., 2000).
Treatment
Treatment is also dependent on the type of stroke a person has suffered, but in all cases a quick diagnosis is vital to reduce the damage covered by insufficient blood and oxygen flow to the brain tissues. Treatment plan for ischemic stroke focuses on restoring sufficient blood flow to the brain. An injection of Tissue Plasmogen Activator helps in dissolving the clots within the vessels that then restores proper flow (Cooper, et al., 2000). Treatment plan of hemorrhagic stroke focuses on reducing pressure on the brain that can be controlled by specified drugs. On overall, it is a personal initiative of every individual to maintain constant physical exercises and reduce consumption of fatty foods for the betterment of the health.
References
Cooper, R., Cutler, J., Desvigne-Nickens, P., Fortmann, S. P., Friedman, L., Havlik, R., et al. (2000). Trends and disparities in coronary heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases in the United States: findings of the national conference on cardiovascular disease prevention. Circulation, 102(25), 3137-3147