Stroke Treatment: Bextra Heart Attack and Stroke Danger
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| A stroke occurs when blood flow to the head is interrupted, and it is one of the most serious cardiovascular events because there are few external indications of trauma until it is too late. A stroke often occurs spontaneously, unlike a heart attack that can have gradual and less serious symptoms. The restriction of oxygen to the brain causes immediate cell death and often results in paralysis or severe mental handicap. Unlike a heart attack, nothing can heal the damaged brain.
Time is critical to stroke victims. Cells within the brain begin to die a few seconds after they are without oxygen, and total brain death can occur in a matter of minutes. Strokes are particularly difficult to treat because doctors have few options to restore sufficient blood to the brain. Further complicating treatment are the different types of strokes and the various locations they can strike in the brain. In some patients, a blood clot restricts or clogs an artery that reduces blood flow to the brain, and at other times a clot called an embolism moves along the bloodstream until it chokes off the flow of blood. A more serious condition called a cerebral hemorrhage occurs when a blood vessel bursts and floods the skull with blood.
Depending on the location, severity, and type, treatment options for a stroke include:
• Different medications that are used depending on the nature of the stroke. Coagulants (for hemorrhages) or blood thinners (for clots or embolisms) are used to treat strokes. It is critically important for medical personnel to correctly diagnose the type of stroke before attempting treatment, for the wrong medication can often make strokes worse.
• Other medications that may be needed to control associated symptoms. Painkillers may be needed to control severe headaches common with brain trauma, and anti-hypertensive medications are used to control high blood pressure.
• Doctors may elect to reintroduce nutrients and fluids through an intravenous tube (IV) or a feeding tube in the stomach (gastrostomy tube). Stroke victims occasionally experience difficulty swallowing that may be temporary or permanent.
• Surgery is often required to remove excess blood from the brain and to repair damaged blood vessels suffered during a hemorrhagic stroke (a stroke caused by a burst blood vessel and profuse bleeding).
• Life support and coma treatment are performed to reduce the effects of a stroke on the other systems in the body.
Depending on the severity of the stroke, a victim may require extensive physical therapy to regain the use of the paralyzed areas of the body. There may also be significant damage to the cognitive, coordination, communication and memory centers of the brain. A stroke truly devastates lives, not only for the victim but for those who must now constantly care for and monitor their loved one.
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