Stroke Or Brain Attack From A To Z

This is an A to Z list for the medical emergency commonly known as "stroke" or "brain attack". Before my wife's stroke in June of 2010 I had done a number of A to Z lists. For these lists I had tackled diverse topics including gardening, model railroading, and the San Diego Zoo. I was hesitant to write one for strokes fearing that it might come off as too lighthearted for a serious topic. However, I have learned that a little levity can really help keep everyone's spirits up, which is extremely important. So, here is my brain attack A to Z list - which is mostly very serious stuff with a little bit of joking sprinkled in.

A is for Aphasia, which are language disorders including trouble speaking, comprehending speech, or reading.

B is for Brain Attack, another name for stroke.

C is for cerebrovascular accident, which is the medical term for a stroke, which is the rapidly developing loss of one or more brain functions due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain.

D is for Doctors, including Neurologists who specialize in the brain and nervous system, and Physiatrists who specialize in rehabilitation.

E is for Emergency, having a brain attack is an emergency which can cause permanent neurological damage.

F is for Fingers, hand and finger movement on the affected side can be very challenging to regain.

G is for Getting a Little Better Every Day, many recoveries are slow - notice and celebrate every improvement.

H is for Hemorrhagic, one of the two main types of brain attacks, in which blood leaks into the brain from broken blood vessels.

I is for Ischemic, the other main type of brain attack, where blood flow is blocked to part of the brain by a blood clot.

J is for Joke, keep joking, keep smiling, keep your spirits up, it really helps.

K is for Know the Five Symptoms of a Stroke:
1. Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
2. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or understanding speech.
3. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
4. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
5. Sudden severe headache with no known cause.
Stroke is a medical emergency. Every minute counts when someone is having a stroke. Call 911 or get to the hospital immediately.

L is for Left or Right Hemispheres of the Brain, a stroke usually affects just one side of the brain which may impair movement on the opposite side of the body.

M is for Memory, survivors may have short-term or long-term memory loss.

N is for Nurses, stroke patients will likely be cared for by many wonderful nurses as they go from the ER to the ICU to a hospital room to rehab.

O is for Occupational Therapy, which focuses on regaining use of the arms and hands as well as learning to perform everyday tasks.

P is for Physical Therapy, which focuses on regaining mobility and walking.

Q is for Quiet, a noisy environment can be overwhelming after a brain attack.

R is for Rehabilitation, which is care and therapy to heal and regain what was lost.

S is for Survivor, who is a person who has experienced a stroke and lived.

T is for tPA, which is a Tissue Plasminogen Activator that can be given to break up a blood clot in the brain if you get to the Emergency Room quickly after the onset of a brain attack.

U is for Understanding, a survivor may have trouble understanding things as they did in the past.

V is for Velcro, things like Velcro ties on shoes can help a person with the use of only one hand after a stroke be more independent.

W is for Weakness, stroke patients will often have weakness on one side of the body.

X is for Xtra Important, know those five stroke symptoms.

Y is for Young, brain attacks can affect both the young and old.

Z is for Zzz, after a stroke the survivor will need a lot of sleep. Good night!

Please note that this article was written by a caregiver and not by a medical professional. It is absolutely not meant to replace professional medical advice. Always discuss any symptoms or treatments with your doctor, nurse, therapist or other qualified medical professional.

Also note that the list of five stroke symptoms was taken directly from the National Institute of Health.

About this Author

Larry Truett is a freelance computer programmer living in San Diego, California with his wife and their three cats. He enjoys hiking, reading, gardening, watching too much television, and other nerdy activities.

Please visit his website http://www.StrokeAndRecovery.com with information, hope, and encouragement for stroke survivors, caregivers, family, and friends.

Also be sure to visit the National Institute of Health stroke awareness site, http://stroke.nih.gov/

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