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troke Treatment - How Do You Treat a Stroke?
In the US, the price tag for stroke is over $43 Billion dollars per year in medical care and therapy costs. It strikes approximately 795,000 people per year, and over 143,000 die from the complications. What is stroke and how is it treated?
Stroke, or brain attack, is the result of decreased blood flow to the brain. It is caused by a blot clot that acts as a barrier to blood flow, depriving other tisses of oxygen rich blood. As tissues begin to die from lack of blood, they begin to die causing brain damage.
Treatment is totally dependent on what type has occurred. There are two types:
Hemorrhagic: Is a rupture of the artery wall permitting blood to leak into the brain. It is at this point that flow is disrupted from getting to the tissues that lie beyond the break. This causes that particular area of the brain to become damaged. Any skills or functions controlled by that area could be lost if treatment isn't begun as soon as possible.
Ischemic: Occurs when a blood clot occludes the artery, not allowing any blood to flow through. Again, blood flow has been disrupted and the rest of the tissues are deprived of nutrient rich blood. The cells in that area are slowly destroyed leading to ischemia.
The person having a brain attack will exhibit signs of dizziness, confusion, and may have slurred speech. They may also complain of severe headache, blindness, and you may notice a droop on one side of the face. These are signs of an emergency situation and it is very important to get medical help right away. Even if the symptoms don't hang around long, you must get medical help immediately for appropriate diagnosis and treatment.

Types of treatment:
Surgical Procedures:
Carotid Endarterectomy: The removal of plaque deposits from the carotid arteries in the neck. The carotids are the arteries that feed the brain and are located on both sides of the neck.
Cerebral Angioplasty: A small catheter with a balloon on it's tip is inserted into an artery then inflated to open the blocked area, thus restoring blood flow.
Stem Cell Transplant: A new experimental treatment using the patient's own stem cells, extracted from the hip bone and injected intravenously. The cells migrate to the area of injury and become active replacing damaged cells and restoring function.
Intravenous Medications:
Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA) is a clot dissolving medication given intravenously within three hours of onset of stroke. It is also used in the treatment of heart attacks.
Oral Meds:

• Antiplatelets: Such as aspirin to prevent platelets from adhering top each other.
• Anticoagulants: Or blood thinners such as coumadin to slow down clotting time.
• Antihypertensives: Medications that control blood pressure. Hypertension is the main cause of hemorrhagic strokes.