Stroke Statistics

Discuss about the Case Study of Greta Balodis.

In the year 2014, an approximated 6.8 million people had an ischemic stroke; additionally, 3.2 million others were suffering from a hemorrhagic stroke (Doyle, 2016, pp 203). In the year 2015, 10868 patients in Australia were suffering from the stroke (Doyle, 2016, pp 205). The figure accounts for 6.7% of fatalities that year (Doyle, 2016, pp 207). Greta Balodis is a 75-year-old widow. One day, when farming, she started having feelings of a headache, dizziness, and nausea. Additionally, she realizes that her mouth and eyes are drooping towards the left side. Doctors later found out that she had Cerebral Vascular Accident and Arterial fibrillation. Her past medical reports show that she has suffered from hypertension. This paper examines Greta’s conditions. Additionally, the article looks at the Pathophysiology, Signs, and Symptoms of stroke; since Greta Balodis is suffering from the stroke.

Pathophysiology results from the terms pathology (pathogenesis) and physiology (Zhang, 2014, pp 424). Pathology is the study of the origin of a disease (George and Steinberg, 2015, pp 302). Physiology is the normal functioning of body organs (Rashid and Karamyan, 2018, pp 245). Therefore, Pathophysiology of stroke refers to the disruption of various chemical pathways. The origin of stroke is a complicated process which scientists have not explained conclusively. The process involves critical pathways in the system of humans. The paths, mainly affected are the inflammatory ones (Paquet et al., 2018, pp 610). As such, the body organs cannot prevent any inflammation. Inflammation usually blocks blood vessels.

Disruption of the oxidative pathway causes the stroke (Yin, Hamblin and Chen, 2014, pp 14). Additionally, the occurrence of imbalance of ions in the intracellular and extracellular membrane cases stroke (Yin et al., 2014, pp 16). Other causes include timed progressive brain cell death, development of growth in the blood vessels and neurological complications (Dirnagl and Endres, 2014, pp 1514). Specialists have devised two essential modes of prevention and treatment of stroke. The two methods of stroke prevention include the protection of the nervous system from any damage, and maintaining the functioning of the Nervous System (Li and Francisco 2015, pp 192).

Apart from the neurological causes, stroke sets in as a result of disruption of blood movement in the Central Nervous System (Dirnagy and Endres, 2014, pp 155). There is the hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke (Berkhemer et al., 2015, pp 12). Hemorrhagic stroke takes place when the capillaries are transporting blood to cells, bursts causing severe bleeding (Berkhemer et al., 2015, pp 14). On the other hand, ischemic stroke occurs when the transport of blood to the brain stops (Paquet et al., 2018, pp 614). The causes of the stoppage of flow of blood include thrombosis, inflammation of the blood vessels, and cholesterol blockage of the blood vessels (Caplan, 2014, pp 63). Greta Balodis is suffering from a hemorrhagic stroke due to the Cerebrovascular Accident.

Pathophysiology of Stroke

The complications such as hypertension, elevated cholesterol levels in the blood, arterial fibrillation, overweight, and smoking of a cigarette lead to stroke (Caplan, 2014, pp 65). The records of Greta Balodis indicate that she had suffered from hypertension, Cerebral Vascular Accident, and arterial fibrillation. Hypertension destroys blood channels of the brain (Caplan, 2014, pp 67). Greta Balodis had a history of high blood pressure. Additionally, hypertension makes the vessels to be weak; thus, increasing the chances of vessel leakage and chances of bursting. Hypertension leads to the clotting of blood in the arteries transporting blood to the Central Nerves System (Caplan, 2014, pp 70). Blood clot blocks the movement of blood to the brain cells leading to the onset of stroke.

Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA) leads to the onset of Stroke. Greta Balodis had suffered from CVA. The accidents can either be ischemic or hemorrhagic (Zhang, 2015, pp 425). Ischemic stroke emanates from intravascular blood clotting (Vella et al., 2015, pp 108). Ischemic stroke can either be thrombotic or embolic (Saver et al., 2015, pp 445).  Thrombotic involves clotting within the Bain cells.

The embolic stroke involves clotting of blood away from the central nervous System (Saver et al., 2015, pp 448). The hemorrhagic stroke consists of the damage of brain blood channels hence preventing blood flow to the brain (Doyle, 2016, pp 210). Arterial fibrillation (A.F) is a heart defect which hampers the Arteriovascular muscles from pumping blood. Hence, the blood remains stagnant in the vessels forming a clot. Therefore, A.F leads to ischemic stroke. Arteriosclerosis is the narrowing of the circumference of the arteries due to the deposition of substances such as Cholesterol (Zhang, 2015, pp 424). The condition blocks blood movement leading to stroke.

Transient ischemic-stroke refers to the short-term hampering of blood flow to the brain cells. Thus, the supplying of oxygen to provide to brain cells stops (Zhang, 2015, pp 426).  The mini attack leads to legs, arms and face weaknesses (Doyle, 2016, pp 208). Furthermore, vision impediments and difficulty in speech sets in. The mini attack is not permanent as it can last for forty-eight hours (Zhang, 2014, pp 425). Greta Balodis experiences a mini attack which causes the stroke.

The Face and Leg Numbness or Paralysis

Greta Balodis started feeling weak; therefore, hiring Domiciliary Care to assist her with her home activities. When one is suffering from stroke, the functioning of the nervous system stops.  The feeling of numbness engulfs the hands, legs, and face. In most cases, the weakness occurs on a single side of the body. Greta experienced drooping of her eyes and mouth towards the left side, yet she had the right-sided Cerebrovascular accident. A different side of the Central Nervous System regulates the activities of the opposite side of the body (Li and Francisco, 2015, pp 192). That justification explains why Greta Balodis experiences drooping to the left side. The drooping is unidirectional (Berkhemer et al., 2015, pp 20). Furthermore, the signs and symptoms arise due to the failure of the nerves to transfer neurons from the sources to the Central Nervous System.

Types of Stroke

The weakness experienced by Balodis results from the blockage of the blood vessels by deposits such as cholesterol. Particles that block the blood vessels prevent the flow of blood into the brain cells (Caplan, 2016, pp 80). Arterial blood transports oxygen in the form of oxyhemoglobin to the brain cells (Dirnagl and Endres, 2014, pp 1518). Oxidation process yield energy for the brain cells and the somatic cells (Doyle, 2016, pp 209). The feeling of tiredness occurs as a result of the failure of the oxidation process. The onset of stroke signals the death of neuronal cells (George and Steinberg, 2015, pp 309).

One day, when Greta Balodis was farming, she started having a feeling dizzy. Furthermore, she was feeling like vomiting. During the chronic stages of stroke, an individual begins to experience an acute headache. In many occasions, patients feel sleepy and become unconscious. Headache occurs due to the interruption of brain functions (Paquet et al., 2018, pp 619). The lack of blood supply or hemorrhage of brain capillaries disrupts its routine coordination adaptations (Rashid and Karamyan, 2018, pp 245). Furthermore, the apoptosis of the nervous system halt the roles of the brain (Saver et al., 2015, pp 448).

Dizziness occurs as a result of a blocked flow of blood to the brain and neuronal dysfunction (Vella et al., 2015, pp 108). Blood transports nutrients to the brain and facilitates gaseous exchange (Yin et al., 2014, pp 16). Therefore, blockage of capillaries leads to malnutrition of brain cells hence causing their death. Dead cells cannot control the sleepiness and wakefulness of an individual. Such a person frequently feels sleepy. Additionally, the peripheral nervous system coordinates the transfer of neurons to the brain (Zhang, 2014, pp 428). Ischemic stroke leads to the apoptosis of the nervous system (Doyle, 2016, pp 210). Once the neuronal signals cannot reach the brain, an individual cannot remain awake for an extended period.

 Greta should apply the F.A.S.T method to check for stroke. (F) Stands for Face (Doyle, 2016, pp 212). The patient should ask themselves whether the face is drooping towards a unidirectional side or otherwise. Letter (A) stands for Arm. The patient should raise both hands and examine whether one falls automatically (Doyle, 2016, pp 213). (S) Stands for speech. An unclear speech signalizes stroke. (T) Stands for Time (Doyle, 2016, pp 215). Greta should visit a health specialist, if positive for all the signs. In her case, Balodis has drooping eyes and mouth towards the left side, and the hands fall automatically.

Causes of Stroke

Conclusion

Greta Balodis is suffering from Stroke; due to the signs and symptoms that she is showing. Her past medical records support the argument that she is a stroke patient. Individuals suffering from hypertension have significant chances of developing stroke. The three leading causes of stroke are blockage of the blood channels, bleeding of brain capillaries, and neuronal failure. The two types of stroke are an ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. The Ischemic stroke results from the inability of the brain cells to received blood from its arterioles and capillaries. Hemorrhagic stroke occurs due to the destruction of brain arterioles leading to bleeding of the blood vessels. The two kinds of stroke have a majority of signs and symptoms. Greta Balodis shows the following symptoms: dizziness, nausea, drooping of face and mouth to the left side. Additionally, she is feeling very week.

References

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Caplan, L.R. ed., 2016. Caplan’s stroke. Cambridge University Press.

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Doyle, K.P., 2016. Unraveling the pathophysiology of chronic stroke lesions could yield treatments for stroke-related dementia.

George, P.M. and Steinberg, G.K., 2015. Novel stroke therapeutics: unraveling stroke pathophysiology and its impact on clinical treatments. Neuron, 87(2), pp.297-309.

Li, S. and Francisco, G.E., 2015. New insights into the pathophysiology of post-stroke spasticity. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 9, p.192.

Paquet, M., Cerasuolo, J.O., Thorburn, V., Fridman, S., Alsubaie, R., Lopes, R.D., Cipriano, L.E., Salamone, P., Melling, C.J., Khan, A.R. and Sedeño, L., 2018. Pathophysiology and risk of atrial fibrillation detected after ischemic stroke (PARADISE): a translational, integrated, and transdisciplinary approach. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 27(3), pp.606-619.

Rashid, M. and Karamyan, V.T., 2018. Peptidase neurolysin: Its function related to the brain renin-angiotensin system and pathophysiology of stroke. Letter to the Editor. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, 48, p.245.

Saver, J.L., Goyal, M., Bonafe, A., Diener, H.C., Levy, E.I., Pereira, V.M., Albers, G.W., Cognard, C., Cohen, D.J., Hacke, W. and Jansen, O., 2015. Solitaire™ with the Intention for Thrombectomy as Primary Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke (SWIFT PRIME) trial: protocol for a randomized, controlled, multicenter study comparing the Solitaire revascularization device with IV tPA with IV tPA alone in acute ischemic stroke. International journal of stroke, 10(3), pp.439-448.

Vella, J., Zammit, C., Di Giovanni, G., Muscat, R. and Valentino, M., 2015. The central role of aquaporins in the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke. Frontiers in cellular neuroscience, 9, p.108.

Yin, K.J., Hamblin, M. and Chen, Y.E., 2014. Non-coding RNAs in cerebral endothelial pathophysiology: emerging roles in stroke. Neurochemistry international, 77, pp.9-16. 

Zhang, J.H., 2014. Vascular, neural network in subarachnoid hemorrhage. Translational stroke research, 5(4), pp.423-428.