Strokes

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STROKES

• WHAT IS A STROKE?
• By C Spain.

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WHAT IS A STROKE

• A stroke is sometimes referred to as a brain
  attack
• It occurs when the blood supply to part of the
  brain is cut off, and without this essential
  blood supply the areas are starved of nutrients
  and oxygen and will therefore be damaged or
  destroyed (atrophy)
• Because the brain controls everything that the
  body does, this can cause various problems for
  the sufferer depending on whereabouts in the
  brain the stroke occurred .for example movement
  of limbs and speech.

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WHAT IS A STROKE?

• As the brain also controls how we think, learn,
  feel and communicate .A stroke can also affect
  these mental functions.
• A stoke is sudden and the effects on the body are
  immediate.
• A stroke can also cause infarction that is
  causing a part of the brain to die this could be
  a tiny part of effect a larger part of the brain
  (Which could result in death.)

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SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

• A stroke causes damage to the brain and therefore
  it will affect the way that the body works.
• What these affects are will depend on two
  things..
• Where the damage in the brain was, and also 2..
  The size of the area that was damaged.
• Each stroke is different and people are affected
  by them in different ways.
• A mild stroke sometimes referred to as a
  T.I.A.(Transient Ischemic attack) is a mild
  stroke which may not have many (if any) long term
  effects.

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SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

• But a stroke that affects the brain for longer
  will destroy brain cells and that will cause more
  far reaching effects
• For example..The right hand side of the brain
  controls the left hand side of the body and vice
  versa. So if the right hand side of the brain is
  effected the left hand side of the body will show
  symptoms such as weakness or paralysis

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WHAT IS A STROKE

• In most people the left hand side of the brain is
  responsible for language, Not only talking but
  also understanding, reading and writing so speech
  will be affected in this case.
• The right hand side of the brain is responsible
  for our perceptual skills such as making sense of
  what we see, hear and touch. The right hand side
  of the brain is also responsible for our spatial
  skills such as judging size, speed, distance or
  position in space. So activities involving these
  skills will be affected.

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CAUSES OF A STROKE

• There are two main causes of a stroke these are.
• 1. A blockage. This is called an
  ischemic stroke, This happens when a clot blocks
  an artery that carries blood to the brain
• 2. A bleed. This is when a blood vessel
  bursts causing internal bleeding into the brain
• Factures which can contribute to these causes
  include. Smoking, alcohol, diet and exercise.

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PROBLEMS

• Problems associated with having a stroke would
  depend on how severe the stroke was and where
  abouts the brain is effected.
• A few common problems would include
• Weakness, Clumsiness or paralysis usually
  affecting one side of the body.

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PROBLEMS

• Balance. Unsteadiness which could be caused by
  damage to the part of the brain that controls
  balance or may be caused because of paralysis
  resulting in muscle weakness.
• Swallowing. About 50 per cent of sufferers have
  difficulty with swallowing after a stroke
• Sleep. Most sufferers complain of extreme
  tiredness (Fatigue). Many also have difficulty
  sleeping which makes them more tired.

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PROBLEMS

• Dysphasia. Receptive dysphasia This is when a
  person finds it hard to understand what is being
  said to them or Expressive dysphasia which can
  affect their speech, where as they find it
  difficult to find the correct words to express
  what they want to say
• Dysphasia is more common with strokes that damage
  the left side of the brain.(As speech is
  generated on this side of the brain.)

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PROBLEMS

• Eyesight. A stroke can damage the parts of the
  brain that receive process and interpret
  information from what we see sometimes this can
  cause double vision or loss of part of their
  field of vision.
• Perceptual problems. Sufferers may have
  difficulty in recognising familiar objects or
  knowing how to use them.

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PROBLEMS

• Mental processes. Such as thinking, learning,
  concentrating, remembering, making decisions,
  reasoning and planning Sufferers may also lose
  short term memory which makes it difficult for
  them to pay attention and concentrate.
• Bladder and bowel problems, the sufferer may have
  continence problems but most people will regain
  control after a few weeks.

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PROBLEMS

• Mood swings. Emotional ups and downs are very
  likely after a stroke. Depression, sadness,
  anger, anxiety, low self-esteem and loss of
  confidence are common sometimes people may find
  it hard to control their emotions or may cry or
  laugh at inappropriate times
• Sensation. Some sufferers have problems where
  they feel too much or too little they may be
  sensitive to colour, sound and/or light or they
  may not feel painful sensations such as heat or
  sharp objects.

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PROBLEMS

• Pain The effects of a stroke could cause the
  sufferer to feel more pain either from the
  effects of the stroke, or by problems relating to
  pain before the stroke but made worse as a
  consequence of the stroke.

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WAYS TO HELP

• (Looking at the above problems, in groups, look
  at ways of helping the stroke sufferer and ways
  to help them understand what has happened to
  them.)

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FACTS

• Anyone can have a stroke.
• Every year over 130,000 people in the UK alone
  have a stroke, thats one person, every five
  minuets. Most people affected are over 65, but
  anyone can have a stroke including children and
  even babies. Around 1000 people under 30 have a
  stroke in the UK every year.
• Strokes are the third biggest killer in the UK.
• Almost one in four men and one in five women aged
  45 can expect to have a stroke f they live to 85.

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FACTS

• More than three times as many women die from a
  stroke than from breast cancer in the UK
• Unacceptable inadequacies in stroke care and
  research exist .For every 50 spent on cancer
  research and 20 spent on heart disease, only 1
  is spent on stroke research.
• Eating healthily, taking more exercise, not
  smoking and ensuring your blood pressure is
  within normal limits, can all help to prevent a
  stroke from happening.

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THANK YOU

• C Spain 2007
• 
  Thanks to the stroke
  association for help.