Stroke Education

Stroke Information

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly interrupted or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, spilling blood into the spaces surrounding brain cells.

There are two types of stroke:

1. Ischemic stroke: oxygen is cut off and brain cells die
2. Hemorrhagic stroke: sudden bleeding into or around the brain

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
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Deficits that may result from a stroke:

• • Language impairment, called aphasia, causing trouble with:
    • Talking
    • Reading
    • Writing
    • Understanding
  • Cognitive deficits
  • Vision impairments
  • Motor speech disorders
  • Dysarthria- muscle weakness
  • Apraxia of speech- trouble coordinating muscle movements
  • Swallowing impairments, called dysphagia
  • Paralysis or weakness of limbs
  • Changes in sensation
  • Reduced bladder control

Incidence of stroke and aphasia:

• Every 40 seconds someone in the United States has a stroke
• There are over 7,000,000 stroke survivors in the United States over the age of 20
• 2/3 of all strokes occur in people over the age of 65.
• 1/3 of all strokes occur in people under the age of 65.
• Many stroke survivors will have chronic deficits.
• Approximately 30% of stroke survivors will have chronic aphasia.

Recovery from stroke:

There is hope and recovery after stroke.
Work with your doctors and professionals from a wide range of health and rehabilitation professions to regain skills.
As long as you work on your recovery, your rehabilitation will continue.

In an inspiring Ted Talk, a Harvard-trained neuroscientist tells about her stroke and her recovery: My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor