Stroke
is nothing if not fast. Each year, as many as 750,000 people in the United
States suffer a sudden and unexpected attack of the brain. When part of the
brain is deprived of oxygen — which is what is happening when stroke hits — it
doesn’t take long for the catastrophe to make itself evident. A minute or less.
Whether
it’s a sudden inability to speak, the crash of a dish from a hand that can no
longer grasp, or loss of consciousness, a brain attack strikes its victims quickly
and powerfully and without warning. Or does it? Although your stroke may occur
in a lightning flash, it has most likely been years in the making, with
conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and diabetes
possibly serving as warning signs that the brain is in danger. Basically, as
these conditions cause wear and tear on your blood vessels, your risks increase
of suffering either a blockage or rupture of a brain artery. And — suddenly —
you’re in stroke mode.
So
how does it happen? It starts with the brain.
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