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What is a Stroke?
A stroke ( otherwise known as a brain haemorrhage or apoplexy) is the term used to describe bleeding in the brain. It occurs when a blood vessel bursts or falters and it can be caused by a variety of factors including physical injury to the head, arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), atherosclerosis (excess cholesterol in the blood) and high blood pressure.
It is also part and parcel of coronary heart disease (CHD) - the most common cause of death in the western world and said to account for nearly 50% of all deaths in the U.K. Contrary to popular belief arterial degeneration does not only affect elderly patients. Of 3,000 US soldiers under 30 years of age who were killed in the Korean war, over 50% showed damage to their coronary arteries and a further 25% showed 'marked changes'.A stroke ( otherwise known as a brain haemorrhage or apoplexy) is the term used to describe bleeding in the brain. It occurs when a blood vessel bursts or falters and it can be caused by a variety of factors including physical injury to the head, arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), atherosclerosis (excess cholesterol in the blood) and high blood pressure.
Known Causes
There are several accepted causes for CHD including:-
1. Diet
2. Obesity
3. Lack of exercise
4. Cigarette smoking
5. Stress
6. Inherited factors
7. Associated diseases - eg. diabetes, gout, high blood pressure
8. The Pill
9. Aspirin *
10. Fish oils **
* Aspirin has been shown to help thin the blood and thereby reduce pressure on the heart and helping to prevent heart disease, BUT at the same time, it also increases the likelihood of arterial stroke.
** Fish oils are also known to thin the blood. In a recent study with adolescents, over 80% of the group taking fish oil supplements had nose bleeds while taking the oil(1) . Furthermore, it is interesting to note that the same research supposed to demonstrate that fish oil lowers the incidence of heart disease in Eskimos, revealed that Eskimos were in fact dying in greater numbers from cerebrovascular haemorrhages (strokes). (2)
Conventional Treatment
In conventional medicine, stroke patients are usually treated with a variety of therapies including medications, surgical implants (shunts) to relieve pressure and physiotherapy. On average, 75% of survivors will walk after one month and 60% will be able to care for themselves with supervision or independently after 3 months. Depending upon the area of the brain affected, the stroke can cause difficulty in speaking, eating, continence, sexual function and mobility. The recovery rate is also influenced by the general health and age of the patient.
(1) Clarke JTR et al, 'Increased incidence of epistaxis in adolescents with familial hypercholesterolemia treated with fish oil' Journal of Paediatrics Jan 1990, 116 (1)
(2) The New Why You Don't Need Meat, P Cox (Bloomsbury) p.21
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