Diagnosis:
Cerebrovascular accident (disorder)
Spanish:
Stroke (disorder)
Description
Brain damage triggered by involvement of the blood vessels of the brain. There are two forms, the ischemic form produced by abrupt obstruction of one of the cerebral arteries and the hemorrhagic form, which, as its name indicates, occurs after the rupture of a cerebral vessel. Symptoms vary depending on the area of the brain affected.
Explanation
Its effects depend on the area of the brain affected by the obstruction or hemorrhage and the extent (size) of the affected area. Therefore, symptoms vary from sudden weakness, loss of sensibility, difficulty in speech, vision or walking.
As different brain areas control different functions, the areas adjacent to the affected area will express related symptoms. When the symptoms last less than 24 hours we speak of a Transient Cerebrovascular Accident and it is related to obstruction of a cerebral artery.
Sometimes stroke is accompanied by headache but very often it can be painless. Suggestive signs include: sudden numbness of the face, arm or leg especially if unilateral, sudden onset confusion or difficulty speaking or understanding speech, sudden difficulty seeing in one or both eyes, sudden difficulty walking or sudden dizziness or loss of coordination or balance, sudden onset unusual headache.
Other acceptable terms
- Stroke
- ACV
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