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Overview
A stroke is the
sudden death of brain cells in a localized area due to inadequate blood flow. A
stroke occurs when blood flow is interrupted to part of the brain. Without blood
to supply oxygen and nutrients and to remove waste products, brain cells quickly
begin to die. Depending on the region
of the brain affected, a stroke may cause paralysis, speech impairment, a loss
of memory and reasoning ability, coma, or death. A stroke is also sometimes called
a brain attack or a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) Stroke
is a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment. Prompt treatment improves
the chances of survival and increases the degree of recovery that may be expected.
A person who may have suffered a stroke should be seen in a hospital emergency
room without delay. Treatment to
break up a blood clot, the major cause of stroke, must begin within three hours
of the stroke to be effective. Improved medical treatment of all types of stroke
has resulted in a dramatic decline in death rates in recent decades.
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