Stroke is a common disease nowadays that takes the lives of many. What actually is it? What can cause it? We have tried to answer these questions in the lines below.



Stroke is a medical condition described by the lack of blood supply in part of the brain or in the whole brain. The interruption of blood supply can e caused by thrombosis ( a clog in a blood vessel that prevents blood from passing through and circulating normally in the blood system), embolism (blockage of a blood vessel caused by an object such as fat, air bubbles, talc, bacteria, amniotic fluid, etc), or hemorrhage (bleeding). The result of irregular or no blood supply to the brain or even a part of it leas to lack of oxygen and glucose that results into brain cells dying. For that reason stroke leads to serious brain damage and even death.

Stroke symptoms are quite different and depend of the level of brain damage. Stroke symptoms may include muscle weakness, numbness, reduction in sensory or vibratory sensation, altered smell, taste, hearing, or vision (total or partial), decreased reflexes, altered breathing and heart rate, disorganized thinking, confusion, etc. In some cases ony one side of the body is affected.

It is believed that men are more likely to suffer from stroke than women. Indeed men have 1.25% more chance of having a stroke however 60% of deaths from stroke occur in women.

Stroke is considered to be one of the medical urgencies. If stroke is not caught in time the damage on ones health might me much more serious.

Stroke can be caused by a variety of factors. Some of the most important ones are advanced age, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and drinking habits, unhealthy diet and overweight. Stress is also one of the significant factors that increase the risk of stroke.

Stoke prevention is possible at several levels. The first and most important one is reducing the risk factors in ones every day life such as reducing smoking and drinking, maintaining a healthy diet and weight, regular sport activities. People who have close relatives suffering from cardiovascular diseases must me much more careful since it is more likely they to suffer from similar diseases or share an unhealthy lifestyle. Regular medical examinations are required especially with increasing of age as mentioned the risk of stroke increases significantly with age especially after 45 years.