STROKE
A stroke is caused by a blood clot that blocks an artery supplying part of the brain, or by bleeding from a leaking vessel into the brain. It occurs suddenly and can be minor or major, depending on the area and amount of the brain involved. If a stroke involves the brainstem, it may affect the breathing center and cause rapid death. A stroke may be caused by rupture of a cerebral artery aneurysm; when this occurs, the victim may suffer from a form of bleeding known as subarachnoid hemorrhage, in which case the victim typically complains of the “worst headache of my life.”
Symptoms include sudden headache without another cause; numbness of the face, arm, or leg; nausea and vomiting; blurred or double vision; weakness or paralysis of the arm(s) and/or leg(s) (particularly if it occurs on one side); difficulty speaking or understanding speech; difficulty walking; dizziness, confusion, and/or loss of balance or coordination; loss of consciousness; coma; seizure; and collapse. If someone has stroke symptoms that last for a few minutes to an hour and then gradually resolve, he has suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA), which is a warning that he may soon suffer a full-blown stroke. Even if stroke symptoms are fleeting, the victim should see a physician as soon as possible. If a person is believed to have suffered a TIA, he should begin to take aspirin, 50 to 325 mg by mouth once a day, until he is evaluated by a neurologist. If a stroke occurs, aspirin should not be administered.
