We explain what this disease is and what risk factors can trigger it.
A cerebrovascular accident (CVA) (stroke) implies that the cerebral blood flow is interrupted , causing cell death in the area where it occurred. It can also happen that the area is flooded (hemorrhage), producing the same effect.
That is, broadly speaking, there are two types of stroke: ischemic (lack of blood and oxygen) and hemorrhagic (flood). The consequences are diverse and include alterations in walking, speech, cognitive functions, vision, etc.
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Cerebrovascular accident: what is it?
A cerebrovascular accident (CVA), also called a stroke, occurs when the flow of blood to a certain area of the brain stops , or when the area is flooded with blood.
On the one hand, by stopping the flow, the administration of oxygen and nutrients that the brain should be receiving is stopped. As a consequence, the death of brain cells can occur, causing significant and irreversible damage. If the area is flooded instead, the cells can also die.
Stroke can be caused by ruptured arteries (causing blood to flood an area of the brain) (cerebral hemorrhage) or by clogged or blocked arteries (causing an area of the brain to be temporarily deprived of oxygen) (ischemia). .
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Let’s see the causes and consequences of these two types of strokes.
Types
As we have already mentioned, there are two main types of Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA): ischemic CVA and hemorrhagic CVA . Both are produced by two different causes.
1. ischemic stroke
An ischemic stroke occurs when a blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain is blocked ; this blockage is caused by a blood clot. With no blood (or oxygen) reaching that area of the brain, the neurons or cells in the area die.
In addition, but, ischemic strokes can also be caused by “plaque”, a sticky substance that clogs the arteries.
But, in general, and more specifically, two situations can occur (two types of ischemic stroke):
1.1. thrombus
If a clot forms in an artery that is already very narrow, it is called a thrombotic stroke (thrombus).
1.2. Embolism
If, instead, the blood clot breaks free from another area of the body, other than the blood vessels of the brain, and travels to the brain itself, what happens is an embolic stroke or cerebral embolism.
2. hemorrhagic stroke
The second type of stroke is hemorrhagic stroke; This occurs due to the rupture of a blood vessel. This causes blood to leak out and leak into that area of the brain where the stroke occurs.
But why do blood vessels break? On the one hand, it may be because the vessels are very weak. On the other hand, there may be certain defects in the vessels themselves (which happens to some people), increasing the probability that they will break. But what are these defects?
2.1. blood vessel defects
These defects that we are talking about can basically be of three types:
2.1.1. arteriovenous malformation
Called AVM, it consists of an abnormal or irregular connection between the veins and the arteries.
2.1.2. Aneurysm
It consists of an area of the blood vessel wall that is weak; this causes a small bulge or bubble to form on the outside of the glass.
2.1.3. cerebral amyloid angiopathy
Called ACA, this is a condition where amyloid proteins build up on the walls of arteries in the brain.
2.2. Other causes
Another possible cause of hemorrhagic stroke is taking anticoagulants, such as Coumadin. On the other hand, very high blood pressure can also cause it, causing blood vessels to burst.
Symptoms
The symptoms of a stroke will vary depending on the affected area , the duration of the lack of oxygen or bleeding, the age of the person, etc.
When the ACV appears, but, it usually does so suddenly and suddenly. The “National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke” establishes a series of symptoms consistent with stroke, which manifest acutely (and at the time of the stroke itself):
1. Lack of sensitivity
It consists of a lack of sensitivity (sensation), or sudden weakness in different areas of the body, such as the arm, leg or face. Often this weakness appears only on one side of the body.
2. Headache
A sudden and intense headache may also appear .
3. Walking difficulties
Difficulty walking, loss of balance or coordination, and dizziness also appear.
4. Confusion
Confusion may appear, as well as difficulties speaking and understanding language.
5. Vision difficulties
Another symptom that appears at the time of stroke is difficulty seeing, either in both eyes or in one.
Risk factor’s
Risk factors are characteristics or variables that increase the probability that a certain disease or pathology will develop. Some factors are modifiable (for example, cholesterol), but others, on the other hand, are not (for example, being a man).
In this case, there are a number of risk factors for stroke. The main one is high blood pressure, but there are others, such as: being a man, having diabetes, having a family history , high cholesterol, an irregular heart rate, being over 55 years old (and it increases as you get older) , being black (these people have a higher risk of dying from a stroke), being obese and having a history of previous strokes.
Bibliographic references
- Fernández-Concepción, O., Fiallo-Sánchez, MC, Álvarez-González, MA, Roca, MA, Concepción-Rojas, M. and Chávez, L. (2001). The quality of life of the patient with stroke: a view from its possible determining factors. Neurology Journal, 32 (8): 725-731.
- Leon-Carrion, J. (1995). Neurological disorders. (nineteen ninety five). Manual of Clinical Neuropsychology. Madrid: Twenty-first Century Publishers.
- Martínez-Vila, E., Murie Fernández, M., Pagola, I., & Irimia, P. (2011). Cerebrovascular diseases. Medicine, 10(72), 4871-4881.
- MedlinePlus. (2019). Stroke. Medical Encyclopedia.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.
