Posts Tagged Strokes
Causes of Depression and the Bad Side of a Possible Good
Let there be no doubt that depression is a serious mental illness that sometimes requires months and years of treatment on the road to a cure. Hippocrates referred to depression as melancholia, which literally means black bile. Black bile, along with blood, phlegm, and yellow bile were the four humors (fluids) that described the basic medical physiology theory of that time. Depression, also referred to as clinical depression, has been portrayed in literature and the arts for hundreds of years, but what do we mean today when we refer to a depressive disorder? In the 19th century, depression was seen as an inherited weakness of temperament. In the first half of the 20th century, Freud linked the development of depression to guilt and conflict. John Cheever, the author and a modern sufferer of depressive disorder, wrote of conflict and experiences with his parents as influencing his development of depression.
Each year, millions of people come to the realization that they suffer from depression. To make things worse it is estimated that only a third of those who suffer the disease will ever seek treatment. Because depression is considered a mental affliction, many sufferers shy away from seeking help from a doctor. Instead of being considered mentally ill, people try to manage the problem themselves. Depression is more common- place than you might think and it will not go away on its own.
Tags: Blood, Blood Pressure, Brain, Diabete, Diabetes, Health, Heart Attacks, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Patients, Recovering From Stroke, Stroke, Strokes, TherapyRelated posts
Stroke – Definition, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Stroke is a disease that affects the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain. Without blood to supply oxygen and nutrients and to remove waste products, brain cells quickly begin to die. Stroke is sometimes called a “brain attack. Stroke is a medical emergency and can cause permanent neurological damage or even death if not promptly diagnosed and treated. It is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability in the United States and industrialized European nations. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of disability. Stroke kills about 150, 000 Americans each year, or almost one out of three stroke victims. Strokes affect blacks more often than whites, and are more likely to be fatal among blacks. Men have more strokes than women. But, women have a risk of stroke during pregnancy and the weeks immediately after pregnancy. The cause of stroke is an interruption in the blood supply, with a resulting depletion of oxygen and glucose in the affected area. This immediately reduces or abolishes neuronal function, and also initiates an ischemic cascade which causes neurons to die or be seriously damaged, further impairing brain function. Risk factors for stroke include advanced age, hypertension (high blood pressure), previous stroke or TIA (transient ischaemic attack), diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, atrial fibrillation, migraine with aura, and thrombophilia. Practice blood pressure is the most important modifiable risk factor of stroke.
Many other risk factors, such as cigarette smoking cessation and treatment of atrial fibrillation with anticoagulant drugs, are important. There are two main types of stroke. One (ischemic stroke) is caused by blockage of a blood vessel. Usually this type of stroke results from clogged arteries, a condition called atherosclerosis. Fatty deposits collect on the wall of the arteries, forming a sticky substance called plaque. Other (hemorrhagic stroke) is caused by bleeding. Bleeding strokes have a much higher fatality rate than strokes caused by clots. Some people have defects in the blood vessels of the brain that make this more likely. The flow of blood after the blood vessel ruptures damages brain cells. Hemorrhage (or bleeding) from an artery in the brain can be caused by a head injury or a burst aneurysm. Aneurysms are blood-filled pouches that balloon out from weak spots in the artery wall. They’re often caused or made worse by high blood pressure. Aneurysms aren’t always dangerous, but if one bursts in the brain, they cause a hemorrhagic stroke.Symptoms of a stroke include sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble with walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination and sudden severe headache.
Tags: A Stroke, Bleeding Stroke, Blood, Blood Pressure, Blood Vessel, Blood Vessels, Brain, Cause Of Stroke, Cholesterol, Clot, Diabete, Diabetes, Headache, Health, Healthy, Hemorrhagic Stroke, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Hypertension, Ischemic Stroke, Migrain, Migraine, Patients, Physical Therapy, Risk Factors For Stroke, Risk Of Stroke, Speech Therapy, Stroke, Stroke Patient, Stroke Patients, Stroke Victim, Stroke Victims, Strokes, Symptoms Of A Stroke, Therapy, Treatment Of A Stroke, Treatments For Stroke, Types Of StrokeRelated posts