Hypertension/stroke

Order Description Part 1: Hypertension is so very prevalent in" rel="nofollow">in our society today and controllin" rel="nofollow">ing sodium in" rel="nofollow">intake is crucial to main" rel="nofollow">intain" rel="nofollow">in health. What other ways can one control Hypertension? Part 2: Stroke A stroke, or brain" rel="nofollow">in attack, happens when blood flow to your brain" rel="nofollow">in is stopped. It is an emergency situation. The brain" rel="nofollow">in needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients in" rel="nofollow">in order to work well. If blood supply is stopped even for a short time, this can cause problems. Brain" rel="nofollow">in cells begin" rel="nofollow">in to die after just a few min" rel="nofollow">inutes without blood or oxygen. When brain" rel="nofollow">in cells die, brain" rel="nofollow">in function is lost. You may not be able to do thin" rel="nofollow">ings that are controlled by that part of the brain" rel="nofollow">in. For example, a stroke may affect your ability to: Move Speak Eat Thin" rel="nofollow">ink and remember Control your bowel and bladder Control your emotions Control other vital body functions A stroke can happen to anyone at any time. A stroke is caused when blood flow to your brain" rel="nofollow">in is stopped or disrupted. There are 2 kin" rel="nofollow">inds of stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic stroke. This is the most common type of stroke. It happens when a major blood vessel in" rel="nofollow">in the brain" rel="nofollow">in is blocked. It may be blocked by a blood clot. Or it may be blocked by a buildup of fatty deposit and cholesterol. This buildup is called plaque. Hemorrhagic stroke. This occurs when a blood vessel in" rel="nofollow">in your brain" rel="nofollow">in bursts, spillin" rel="nofollow">ing blood in" rel="nofollow">into nearby tissues. With a hemorrhagic stroke, pressure builds up in" rel="nofollow">in the nearby brain" rel="nofollow">in tissue. This causes even more damage and irritation. Anyone can have a stroke at any age. But your chance of havin" rel="nofollow">ing a stroke in" rel="nofollow">increases if you have certain" rel="nofollow">in risk factors. Some risk factors for stroke can be changed or managed, while others can’t. Risk factors for stroke that can be changed, treated, or medically managed: High blood pressure. Blood pressure of 140/90 or higher can damage blood vessels (arteries) that supply blood to the brain" rel="nofollow">in. Heart disease. Heart disease is the second most important risk factor for stroke, and the major cause of death among survivors of stroke. Heart disease and stroke have many of the same risk factors. Diabetes. People with diabetes are at greater risk for a stroke than someone without diabetes. Smokin" rel="nofollow">ing. Smokin" rel="nofollow">ing almost doubles your risk for an ischemic stroke. Birth control pills (oral contraceptives) History of TIAs (transient ischemic attacks). TIAs are often called min" rel="nofollow">ini-strokes. They have the same symptoms as stroke, but the symptoms don’t last. If you have had one or more TIAs, you are almost 10 times more likely to have a stroke than someone of the same age and sex who has not had a TIA. High red blood cell count. A significant in" rel="nofollow">increase in" rel="nofollow">in the number of red blood cells thickens the blood and makes clots more likely. This raises the risk for stroke. High blood cholesterol and lipids. High cholesterol levels can contribute to thickenin" rel="nofollow">ing or hardenin" rel="nofollow">ing of the arteries (atherosclerosis) caused by a buildup of plaque. Plaque is deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, and calcium. Plaque buildup on the in" rel="nofollow">inside of the artery walls can decrease the amount of blood flow to the brain" rel="nofollow">in. A stroke occurs if the blood supply is cut off to the brain" rel="nofollow">in. Lack of exercise Obesity Excessive alcohol use. More than 2 drin" rel="nofollow">inks per day raises your blood pressure. Bin" rel="nofollow">inge drin" rel="nofollow">inkin" rel="nofollow">ing can lead to stroke. Illegal drugs. IV (in" rel="nofollow">intravenous) drug abuse carries a high risk of stroke from blood clots (cerebral embolisms). Cocain" rel="nofollow">ine and other drugs have been closely lin" rel="nofollow">inked to strokes, heart attacks, and many other cardiovascular problems. Abnormal heart rhythm. Some types of heart disease can raise your risk for stroke. Havin" rel="nofollow">ing an irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation) is the most powerful and treatable heart risk factor of stroke. Cardiac structural abnormalities. Damaged heart valves (valvular heart disease) can cause long-term (chronic) heart damage. Over time, this can raise your risk for stroke. Risk factors for stroke that can’t be changed: Older age. For each decade of life after age 55, your chance of havin" rel="nofollow">ing a stroke more than doubles. Race. African Americans have a much higher risk for death and disability from a stroke than whites. This is partly because the African-American population has a greater in" rel="nofollow">incidence of high blood pressure. Gender. Stroke occurs more often in" rel="nofollow">in men, but more women than men die from stroke. History of prior stroke. You are at higher risk for havin" rel="nofollow">ing a second stroke after you have already had a stroke. Heredity or genetics. The chance of stroke is greater in" rel="nofollow">in people with a family history of stroke. Discussion Questions Part 2: Stroke: Choose 3 questions to answer. What causes a stroke? What are the symptoms of a stroke? What side of the body would be affected by a stroke on the left side of your brain" rel="nofollow">in? What is a TIA? What is the difference between an ischemic stroke verses a hemorrhagic stroke? How do you manage an ischemic stroke verses a hemorrhagic stroke?