Stroke Also called: Brain attack, CVA Summary A stroke is a medical emergency. Strokes happen when blood flow to your brain stops. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. There are two kinds of stroke. The more common kind, called ischemic stroke, is caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain. The other kind, called hemorrhagic stroke, is caused by a blood vessel that breaks and bleeds into the brain. “Mini-strokes” or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), occur when the blood supply to the brain is briefly interrupted. Symptoms of stroke are Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg (especially on one side of the body) Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination Sudden severe headache with no known cause If you have any of these symptoms, you must get to a hospital quickly to begin treatment. Acute stroke therapies try to stop a stroke while it is happening by quickly dissolving the blood clot or by stopping the bleeding. Post-stroke rehabilitation helps individuals overcome disabilities that result from stroke damage. Drug therapy with blood thinners is the most common treatment for stroke. NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke NIH MedlinePlus Magazine “Know Stroke” Campaign “To All Stroke Survivors – Never, Ever Give Up” Kirk Douglas: “My Stroke of Luck” Researching and Reducing the Health Burden of Stroke Two Kinds of Stroke Understanding Stroke What to Know – and Do! – about Stroke Related Issues Agnosia National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Atherosclerosis and Stroke American Stroke Association Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Heart Disease, Stroke, or Other Cardiovascular Disease and Adult Vaccination Centers for Disease Control and Prevention High Blood Pressure, Afib and Your Risk of Stroke American Heart Association Let’s Talk about High Blood Pressure and Stroke American Heart Association Sleep Apnea and Heart Disease, Stroke American Heart Association Find an Expert American Heart Association American Heart Association American Stroke Association American Stroke Association Find a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke National Stroke Association National Stroke Association Encyclopedia BAER – brainstem auditory evoked response Brain herniation Brain surgery Brain surgery – discharge Cerebral amyloid angiopathy Head MRI Lactate dehydrogenase test LDH isoenzyme blood test Lipoprotein-a Magnetic resonance angiography Subarachnoid hemorrhage Swallowing problems Vertebrobasilar circulatory disorders Prevention and Risk Factors Before Using Aspirin to Lower Your Risk of Heart Attack or Stroke, Here Is What You Should Know Food and Drug Administration Brain Basics: Preventing Stroke National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Let’s Talk about Lifestyle Changes to Prevent Stroke American Heart Association Talk with Your Doctor about Taking Aspirin Every Day Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Diagnosis and Tests Can You Recognize a Heart Attack or Stroke? What To Do When Every Moment Counts National Institutes of Health Catheter Angiography Array Cranial Ultrasound/Head Ultrasound Array CT Perfusion of the Head Array How a Stroke Is Diagnosed Washington University, School of Medicine hs-CRP Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry Magnetic Resonance, Functional (fMRI) — Brain Array What Are the Warning Signs of Stroke? American Heart Association Statistics and Research CDC Vital Signs: Preventable Deaths from Heart Disease and Stroke Centers for Disease Control and Prevention FastStats: Cerebrovascular Disease or Stroke National Center for Health Statistics Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2014 Update American Heart Association Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Carotid Stenosis National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Cerebrovascular Disorders National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Endarterectomy, Carotid National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Stroke National Institutes of Health Stroke Trials Registry Washington University, School of Medicine Array Craniotomy – slideshow EEG Preventing stroke Stroke Stroke – discharge Genetics Genetics Home Reference: cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: moyamoya disease National Library of Medicine Reference Desk Heart and Stroke Encyclopedia American Heart Association Stroke Connection Magazine American Stroke Association Women Hidden Risk Factors for Women American Stroke Association New Guidelines for Reducing Stroke Risks Unique to Women American Heart Association Stroke Fact Sheet Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Start Here Know Stroke. Know the Signs. Act in Time. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Questions and Answers about Stroke National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Stroke National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Stroke American Academy of Family Physicians Stroke: Hope through Research National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Stroke: Overview National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Videos and Tutorials Know Stroke: Know the Signs, Act in Time Video National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Warning Signs and Risk Factors National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Treatments and Therapies Meditation and Heart Health American Heart Association Patient’s Guide to Antithrombotic Therapy in Stroke American College of Chest Physicians Stroke Treatments Array Stroke: First Aid Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research What Are Some Common Outcomes of Stroke and Some Common Treatments for These Outcomes? National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Specifics MedlinePlus: Hemorrhagic Stroke National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus: Ischemic Stroke National Library of Medicine Spinal Cord Infarction National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Wallenberg’s Syndrome National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Children Pediatric Stroke Washington University, School of Medicine Stroke (For Kids) Nemours Foundation Strokes (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Journal Articles Diagnosis & causes of stroke Stroke prevention Seniors Stroke National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Stroke National Institute on Aging Stroke: Unique to Older Adults AGS Foundation for Health in Aging Symptoms Stroke Risk Factors and Symptoms National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Health Check Tools Stroke Risk Questionnaire Siteman Cancer Center Test Your Stroke Knowledge National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke What’s Your Stroke I.Q.? American Heart Association Latest News Obese Women on Birth Control Pills May Face Higher Risk of Rare Stroke HealthDay Skipping Meds Greatly Ups Heart Patients’ Risk of Stroke HealthDay Stroke Hospitalization Down for Many in U.S. HealthDay Right Brain Scan Could Aid in Stroke Recovery HealthDay Blood Pressure Patterns May Predict Stroke Risk HealthDay Stem Cells May Offer New Hope to Stroke Survivors HealthDay Brain Scans Give Clues to Stress-Heart Attack Link HealthDay Fruit Every Day Might Help Your Heart HealthDay Lonely, Isolated People May Be Prone to Heart Disease, Stroke HealthDay Doctors May Be Ordering Too Many Neck Artery Scans HealthDay Why Stroke in Middle Age Is More Deadly for Blacks Than Whites HealthDay Many with Irregular Heartbeat Missing Out on Stroke-Preventing Treatments HealthDay Aspirin After Mini-Stroke May Help Prevent Full-Blown Stroke HealthDay New Guidelines Recommend Inpatient Rehab After Stroke HealthDay