The third leading cause of death of Americans is a stroke. It is also one of the leading disability claims. Someone has a stroke every 40 seconds in the USA alone. The shocking thing about a stroke is the majority of them; more than 80% can be avoided. A stroke is what happens when blood supply to the brain is cut off, even for a very short period of time. A blood vessel that becomes clogged or bursts can cause an immediate stroke. When this happens, damage to brain tissue occurs. When a stroke occurs, there is very little warning. The worst type of stroke can be and usually is fatal. Warning signs that a stroke is imminent or occurring include:

– A sudden severe headache that has been described as an immediate, excruciating bolt of pain

– Going numb or experiencing a sudden weakness on only one side of the body

– Abrupt confusion, the sudden inability to comprehend what is happening around you

– Abrupt inability to understand people who are speaking

– Sudden dizziness and balance problems

– Abrupt blurred, or double vision

– Sudden blindness in either or both eyes

Get Help Immediately

Because of the sudden and usually severe onset of a major stroke, it is often impossible to call for help. If you experience any of these problems, immediately dial 911 or ask someone to call before you are unable to do so. If you are alone, try to get to where people are as fast as you possibly can so that someone can call emergency services for you. Your best defense against a stroke is preventative measures. This means education, as in HIPAA HITECH Training. Other steps you can take to avoid a stroke are

– A complete and immediate cessation from smoking

– Taking medications to control high blood pressure

– Maintaining a safe cholesterol level

– Controlling diabetes

Three Types Of Stroke

During a stroke, the blood vessels that deliver oxygenated blood to the brain are either blocked or damaged. Since the brain cannot store blood on its own, the nerve cells are completely disengaged from the oxygen, nutrients they need to survive, and they begin to die almost immediately. This means that you will have three minutes, more or less, before the damage is permanent. There are three kinds of stroke that you can experience.

– Transient ischemic attack or TIA: If you are going to have a stroke, this is the kind you want. It is more like an early warning that you are likely to have a severe, fully blown stroke It could occur in 9 seconds or 90 days, there is not way to know. TIA occurs when blood flow stops to a part of the brain for 15 minutes or less. TIA is usually painless but symptoms include some or all of the symptoms of a full-blown stroke except for the blast of pain in the head.

– Ischemic stroke: This is a blood clot in a blood vessel, called a thrombus that cuts off the brains blood supply, or an embolus, a blood clot that develops somewhere else in the body and moves to the brain. The most common cause of this is a building up of plaque or other fatty material and is known as arterosclerosis. These symptoms can include a headache and vomiting. Seizures are rare but can occur with this type of stroke.

– Hemorrhagic Stroke: When an abrupt, violent, blood vessel burst occurs in the brain, often with enough pressure that the force of the blood also causes damage, you have this… the worst kind of stroke.

Eighty Percent Preventable

For the most part, strokes can be avoided if you take the right, preventative steps mentioned above that include quitting smoking, and regular physical exams by your family physician to control high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. You owe it to yourself and your family to do everything you can to avoid a stroke.

Author Bio: For more information please visit our HIPAA Compliance website.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: stroke,diabetes,cholesterol,HIPAA HITECH ,death of Americans ,HIPAA Compliance