Stroke Project

Essay by JonotronJunior High, 8th gradeA, May 2004

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Strokes are the third greatest cause of death in America, next to cancer and heart attacks. The brain heavily relies on its blood flow and if the course is obstructed the brain will lose its supply of oxygen. If the brain lost oxygen for a matter of minutes then it would the part of lacking oxygen would literally suffocate to death. There are two main types of strokes; there is an ischemic stroke, which is caused by blood clots or other particles. There is also a hemorrhagic stroke, which is caused by bleeding. Hemorrhagic strokes have a much higher fatality rate. If a stroke is going to take place you will have symptoms from a few hours to a couple day before the stroke. Most types of strokes will give you permanent brain damage, like partial loss of vision or paralysis, in some cases these loses can be regained.

Symptoms: Some symptoms of a stroke are loss of sensation on one side of the body, weakness, dizziness, slurred speech, partial loss of vision, mental confusion, and personality changes.

These symptoms will slowly worsen within a couple hours to a few days; it depends on the intensity of the stroke. In some minor stroke cases symptoms will start within a few hours of the actual stroke. If these symptoms aren't dealt with they can lead to coma even death.

Causes: A stroke is cause by a blockage of blood circulation to the brain. This may result in cerebral Thrombosis or cerebral embolism. If you have diabetes, high cholesterol, or if you smoke you have a higher chance of contracting this disease. A stroke may also be caused by cerebral hemorrhaging and by bleeding in the cerebral fluids. Some strokes are caused by atherosclerosis, where fat deposits and blood platelets collect on...