health ABC > Stroke
10 things you should know about stroke
Every five minutes someone in the UK has a stroke. A stroke is a brain attack. A stroke happens due to a clot or bleed in the brain, which causes brain cells t...read more
A stroke: what is it and how do you recognize it ?
What is a stroke? A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack." A stroke can injure the brain like a heart attack can injure the heart. A stroke occurs when part of the brain does...read more
After a stroke: psychological changes
Feelings of anger, despair, frustration and grief are all normal for people who have had a stroke – and their families. Worries about work, money, close relationships and loss of confid...read more
After a stroke: rehabilitation
In the first few days after a stroke, good nursing care focuses on assessment and preventing complications. Once the person is stable, the stroke team works out an individual rehabilitation programme<...read more
Alcohol and stroke
If you drink alcohol you have probably wondered whether it is doing you any long term harm. This factsheet describes the link between drinking alcohol and stroke and explains how "binge" drinking pu...read more
Aspirin and stroke
Aspirin is one of the most commonly used medicines. It has been used for over 100 years as a painkiller and to reduce fever. Today, Aspirin is widely used in preventing heart attacks<...read more
Brain attack
A stroke is a brain attackA stroke is what happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. Blood carries essential nutrients and oxygen to the brain. Without a blood supply, brain cells...read more
Cardiovascular Disease and Tobacco
What is the connection between smoking and heart disease and stroke? Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Contrary to public perception, smoking-caused ...read more
Cholesterol and strokes
Cholesterol plays an important part in the body, but too much is not good for us. Having a high cholesterol level increases the chance of having a stroke. All men over 35 and women over 45 should have their ...read more
Common problems after a stroke
There are several problems or disabilities stroke survivors may face in the first few weeks after having a stroke. Most of these will improve over time as the brain recovers. In severe cases, they may cause long-term disabili...read more
Common symptoms of a stroke
The first signs that someone has had a stroke are very sudden. Symptoms include: Symptoms of stroke numbness, weakness or paralysis on one side of the body (signs of this may be a drooping arm, le...read more
Damage to the brain
A stroke causes damage to the brain, which affects how the body worksBecause stroke is a brain injury, the effects, or symptoms, will depend on the part of the brain that is affected.Every st...read more
Diabetes and stroke
Diabetes is extremely common, and it is on the increase. This factsheet describes the main symptoms of diabetes and explains why being diabetic increases your risk of stroke. If you are diabetic, you can red...read more
Diet and stroke
The food you eat can help reduce the risk of having a stroke. This factsheet describes different food groups, such as cereals, oils and fats, fruits and vegetables and explains why and how they can protect ag...read more
Functional electrical stimulation
Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) can be used to help people who have had a stroke to lift their foot when walking. This was first done in 1960 by an American bioengineer called Liberson. For some time ...read more
Migraine and stroke
Migraine is a severe type of headache which often occurs with other symptoms such as nausea. It is thought that migraine can increase the risk of stroke, particularly in younger women. This ...read more
Physiotherapy after a stroke
After your stroke you are likely to need help to regain old abilities, learn new skills and to cope with any remaining disabilities. This process is known as rehabilitation, and physiotherapy...read more
Progression of dementia
Although everyone experiences dementia in their own individual way, it can be helpful to think of the progression of dementia as a series of stages.This page outlines the characteristics of early, middle and late stageSalt and stroke
Most of us don’t think twice about adding salt to our food, but there is now mounting evidence that too much salt can lead to higher blood pressure and increase the risk of stroke. This factsheet explai...read more
Salt: how much do we need?
Vegan diets have been proven to be characteristically low in saturated fats, high in beneficial fibre and free from harmful cholesterol. But when it comes to salt, in itself ...read more
Smoking and stroke
Smoking is the single biggest cause of ill health and premature death in the UK, responsible for nearly one in five deaths. But it is never too late to stop – about five years after quitting, your risk...read more
Some information about subarachnoid haemorrhage
Most strokes happen because of a blockage in an artery leading to the brain, however about 20% are due to bleeding in or around the brain. A suarachnoid haemorrhage is when there is bleeding over the surface ...read more
Steps to reduce your risk
Get your blood pressure checked High blood pressure causes the arteries to fur up (atherosclerosis) and puts extra strain on the blood vessels. You may not know if you have high blood pressure, so you should have it checked ...read more
Stroke and children
Most people associate stroke with elderly people, but anyone can have a stroke, including children and babies. Strokes tend to happen for different reasons in children, but often the outlook for recovery is b...read more
Stroke can happen to anyone
A stroke can happen with no obvious cause, to people of any age - but there are factors known to increase the likelihood of it happening. Some of these factors are things that can't be changed. Other ...read more
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