Essay on Chronic Diseases

Submitted By amar92
Words: 537
Pages: 3

A stroke is high on the list of chronic disease related deaths in America. Although men are more likely to have a stroke at some point in their lives as women, it is two times more likely that a woman will have a stroke than develop breast cancer within a lifetime. During the stroke, the victim is suddenly under attack inside the brain which may last seconds to minutes. Strokes account for about eight percent of deaths in the United States. Strokes are sometimes referred to as “brain attacks” due to the similarity between a stroke and a heart attack. There are three forms of stoke, Ischemic which is much more common, and hemorrhagic which is much less likely. During the most common form a stroke (Ischemic), the brain is starved of blood and the nutrients it provide by a clot formed in a vein. This is caused by four major reasons: thrombosis, embolism, systemic hypertension, and venous thrombosis. The second, less common form of stroke is known as a hemorrhagic stroke; during a hemorrhagic stroke the brain is starved of blood by a clot like a Ischemic stroke, but the pressure of the blood becomes so high that the vein explodes causing a major lack of blood is some areas of the brain, whereas excess blood in other areas. Victims of hemorrhagic stokes are subject to brain hemorrhage, and infection from blood in ares I is not supposed to be. If the victim of a stroke is not killed during the initial attack, they can suffer from paralysis, the inability to read and/or write, and amnesia. If the damage is permanent, then the attack is classified as a stroke, but if the damage has resolved within 24 hours, then the attack is classifies as a transient ischemic attack (TIA).
Risk factors for both forms of stroke include the following: high blood pressure, obesity, atrial fibrillation, smoking, heavy alcohol use, high cholesterol, unhealthy diet, drug use, lack of physical activity, excessive red meat consumption, and family history. However, on the bright side