Stroke - Cerebrovascular accident

Stroke or cerebrovascular accident is a disease that affects the blood vessels responsible for supplying blood to the brain. An ischemic stroke is the blockage of a blood vessel by an embolism or thrombus, whereas a hemorrhagic stroke occurs when the injury is secondary to a ruptured blood vessel. Risk factors include: age, family history, race or gender, hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, etc. The symptoms will depend on the area of the brain affected (loss of strength and/or sensitivity of a region of the body, difficulty speaking or walking, etc.). Diagnosis is established by taking the medical history and performing a complete physical examination, blood tests and a computed tomography. Treatment varies depending on whether the stroke is caused by a blocked artery or a ruptured blood vessel.