What Causes a Stroke

By Barb Hicks

The most prominent cause of stroke is high blood pressure or hypertension. A reading of 140/90 or higher is considered the beginning risk point. Hypertension can cause severe damage to major organs including the heart, eyes and kidneys. Furthermore, it can also create weakened areas in the blood vessels which then result in a hemorrhagic stroke.

An Ischemic stroke is a condition in which blood vessels have narrowed or become completely blocked. This is caused by plaque buildup in the arteries or a blood clot that eventually blocks the artery therefore cutting off blood flow to the brain. These blood clots can form and travel from other areas of the body or form inside the artery itself.

An embolism or blood clot that breaks apart from other areas of the body is another risk factor for stroke. Atrial fibrillation is a result of blood clots forming in the atria which causes consistent fluttering or contracting, resulting in blood clots.

Arterial blood clots are commonly found on plaque deposits. Small cracks formed in the plaque allow cells to build up, thus forming blood clots. As these clots grow and increase in size, blockage of blood flow through the artery occurs. The result of this blockage is that the cells on the other side of the clot become deprived of much needed oxygen and nutrients from the blood resulting in cell death and ischemia. This process than leads to a stroke. It is exactly the same mechanism that causes heart attacks, except it involves the heart.

Different types of stroke:

- Hemorrhagic: Bleeding into the brain caused by a ruptured blood vessel. - Ischemic: Caused by narrowed or occluded arteries due to plaque deposits.

Causes:

- High Blood Pressure - Diabetes - Atrial Fibrillation - Heart Disease

Risk factors for stroke include:

- Age - Ethnicity - High Blood Pressure - Heart Disease - Diabetes - Family Health History - High Serum Cholesterol Levels - Prior Stroke

Fractures are another risk factor for stroke, thus making the elderly extremely vulnerable. Tissue from a broken bone can travel through the blood stream resulting in a fat embolism. This embolism can then travel into the lungs creating respiratory failure. It can also travel to the brain resulting in a stroke or to the heart in which case a heart attack will occur.

Reducing risk factors and prevention work in unison to avoid what can be a life altering disability.

Preventative Methods:

- Lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels - Manage blood sugar - Manage blood pressure levels

A healthy diet: Vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains such as breads, cereals, nuts and pastas combined with lean meats such as fish and poultry are a great beginning. Another great step is to reduce the consumption of red meat to one per month. Providing a diet that is low in fat and high in fiber is an excellent way to prevent this illness from occurring as well as lower your risk factors.

About the Author:

Barb Hicks is a Licensed Registered Nurse who loves to write and share her knowledge about Stroke Causes with others. She also provides more information about Stroke Cure on Clivir.com.

Survival Statistics Of Cancer

By Rita Goldman

Explaining Cancer Survival Statistics

Cancer survival statistics, work like any other statistic, they express a statistical probability. So while pancreatic cancer survival statistics are not necessarily good, because it is an aggressive cancer, it is at the end of the day a statistic. A statistic is an estimate based on a sample of a population, providing an indication of the true population parameter. Which means in plain English that cancer survival statistics are an indication of how many people on average will survive cancer as an average, irrespective of personal conditions such as genetics, age, etc.

According to Sen. Mitch McConnell on Health-Care Reform

Comments from Senate Wednesday, June 10, 2009

"One thing most people like about health care in the U.S. is the quality of cancer care that's available here. Far too many Americans die from cancer. Yet for all the problems we have, the fact is, America boasts some of the highest cancer survival rates in the world".

How you handle your health before and after cancer has a direct affect on the prognosis of the disease. For instance the women that survive breast cancer are those that have examined their breasts regularly before they were diagnosed with cancer, and had regular mammograms. The statistics here are so good that those diagnosed in the earliest stages of breast cancer and who receive early treatment are a hundred percent.

A good and positive attitude can help in your battle with cancer. It will not help in minimizing the treatment or its effect, but you will be amaze of what positive attitude can do. It can help you in beating the survival statistics. It is important that you overcome your fear. And understanding cancer survival can really help in overcoming fear.

Few breast conserving treatment (BCT) data include women older than 70, yet a study of 910 women being treated by BCT for stage I"II breast cancer, when all patients received Radiotherapy (RT) found that a 65 month follow up found that a second cancer occurred in only 5.6 percent of cases. Six hundred and seventy six percent of cases were in complete remission (74.3%), 22 were evaluative (2.4%). 206 patients died (22.6%). The results of this study concluded that those that needed more aggressive treatment had been identified.

Improving cancer survival statistics is within your power, and empowerment regarding your treatment is the first of a series of steps that enable you to cheat the cancer survival statistics. Today cancer is a serious disease but it is not an automatic death sentence. The chance of surviving cancer depends firstly and foremost on the type of cancer, but your immediate environment, your diet, your mental state, your lifestyle all have an impact on whether your cancer survival statistics are better than the average.

About the Author:

As isolated as you may feel right now, you are not alone. Cancer diagnosis is no longer the end of the story. Cancer survivors prove every day that this can be the beginning of a whole new positive chapter in your life. Join our unique community of cancer survivors to be right now and receive a FREE report on Cancer Survivor's tips.

A Description of Common Vocal Cord Disorders

By Lynn Williams

The vocal cords, muscle tissue located in the throat area, are responsible for producing your voice. When there is something wrong with the vocal cords it will affect your voice and could lead to serious issues. Most vocal cord disorders are caused by the misuse or abuse to the vocal cords.

Common vocal cord disorders range from simple issues to serious medical conditions. Any sign of a vocal cord disorder should be checked out by a medical doctor to ensure there is no serious damage to the vocal cords. Most vocal cord disorders are caused by overusing the voice or other irritants, like chemical inhalation.

A common vocal cord disorder is laryngitis. Laryngitis usually causes a hoarse voice. It can be caused by overuse, irritants or it can be a side effect from gastro esophageal reflux. Laryngitis can lead to complete loss of the voice and rest usually plays a large factor in healing laryngitis. This is one of the better known vocal cord disorders because it is most often linked to overuse of the voice from singing or yelling.

Another vocal cord disorder is vocal nodules. These are growths on the vocal cords that are not cancerous. They usually grow in pairs in the areas where vocal cords come together and vibrate to produce sound. Nodules are very similar to a callus that you would get on your hand from excessive use. Symptoms of vocal nodules include a hoarse or breathy sounding voice.

A vocal polyp is like a nodule, except it is more like a blister than a callus. Polyps are often a result of cigarette smoking. Also, they have been linked to hypothyroidism, gastro esophageal reflux, and overuse of the voice. They can cause the voice to sound hoarse or of a lower tone than normal.

Vocal cord paralysis is caused when one or both of the vocal cords dont function properly. This is actually a common vocal cord disorder. It can be mild or very. If both vocal cords are paralyzed it can be hard to eat or breathe. If only one of the vocal cords is paralyzed, it should be able to be treated without further issues or interference with eating and breathing. However, it is important to find help if you think you are suffering from vocal cord paralysis so that you can avoid more serious issues.

There are other voice disorders that happen less frequently. For example, ulcers can be caused by forced speech. Laryngeal papillomatosis is another one, though it is rare and is caused by HPV, which results in tumors in the vocal cords.

The most common vocal cord disorders are mild and can be easily treated. However, if you continue to expose yourself to whatever caused the vocal cord disorder then you are likely to keep experiencing problems. The best treatment for minor vocal cord problems is to simply rest the voice and avoid harmful irritants. As mentioned, most vocal cord disorders are nothing too serious, but there is always a possibility of a serious problem so you should always see a doctor if you are experiencing problems.

About the Author:

Voicematters.net is a community of people who share common speech disorder problems. Come join our social network.