Stroke

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly interrupted due to the presence of a blood clot (ischemic stroke) or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, spilling blood into the spaces surrounding brain cells (hemorrhagic stroke). Brain cells die when they no longer receive oxygen and nutrients from the blood or when they are damaged by sudden bleeding into or around the brain. This results in temporary or permanent neurologic impairment.

Ischemic stroke, also known as cerebral infarction, accounts for 80 percent of all strokes, while hemorrhagic stroke accounts for the other 20 percent. In addition, some people suffer transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), which are mini-strokes that last only 5 to 20 minutes. In almost all TIAs, the symptoms go away within an hour. An estimated 550,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke each year, making this one of the most serious of all health problems. Half of stroke sufferers are left disabled, with many undergoing years of rehabilitation.

Signs and Symptoms

Symptoms of stroke appear suddenly. If you notice any of these signs and symptoms, seek emergency medical help immediately for yourself or for someone you are with.

• Numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Confusion, trouble talking, or difficulty understanding speech
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination; sudden severe headache with no known cause

Causes

Ischemic stroke results from the following causes.

• A clot (embolus) forms in a part of the body other than the brain, travels through blood vessels, and becomes wedged in a brain artery.
• A blood clot (thrombus) forms in a brain artery and stays attached to the artery wall until it grows large enough to block blood flow 

Hemorrhagic stroke results from the following causes.

• A bleeding aneurysm—a weak or thin spot on an artery wall that over time has stretched or ballooned out under pressure from blood flow. The wall ruptures and blood spills into the space surrounding brain cells.
• Artery walls lose their elasticity and become brittle and thin, prone to cracking
• Arteriovenous malformation (AVM)—a tangle of defective blood vessels and capillaries within the brain that have thin walls that can rupture

Integrative Medicine Treatment Options

We combine the best of conventional medicine with the best of complementary and alternative therapies to give you optimal results.

Here are some options we use at the Alliance Institute for Integrative Medicine LOCATED IN Cincinnati, Ohio

• Acupuncture
• Herbal Therapies, Supplements and Medications