Health

Question

What exactly causes a stroke? Does a stroke normally makes holes in your brain, or is that only from a certain type of stroke (if any)? Is it possible for the person to get better (possibly 99% better) or not?

Answer

Dear Latoya,<BR><BR>Thank you for sending your question to AskNSDL.&nbsp; There are many Internet resources available on the subject of stroke.&nbsp; As a librarian (I'm not a health care provider), I will not attempt to explain exactly what a stroke is. However, I can tell you that it's been called a "brain attack" and that stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is reduced or interrupted. It may also be caused by a blood vessel that bursts.<BR><BR>The National Library of Medicine&nbsp; (NLM) provides a wonderful index of&nbsp; authoritative resources on this topic.&nbsp; Check the link below.<BR><A href=http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/stroke.html">http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/stroke.html</A><BR><BR>Specifically, I think that you will find answers to all your questions by reviewing the following articles that were listed on the NLM's Stroke page.<BR><BR>* NINDS Stroke Information Page: The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has created this overview of the disease. It can answer your questions about what is a stroke. It explains, "<FONT size=2>Brain cells die when they no longer receive oxygen and nutrients from the blood or there is sudden bleeding into or around the brain."&nbsp;Is this&nbsp;what you mean by "holes?"</FONT><BR><A href=http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/stroke.htm">http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/stroke.htm</A><BR><BR>* Stroke: By 4Women.gov, the National Women's Health Information Center.<BR><A href=http://www.4woman.gov/faq/stroke.htm">http://www.4woman.gov/faq/stroke.htm</A><BR><BR>* Understanding Stroke: The Cleveland Clinic provides this webpage on stroke. In answer to the question, "What lasting damage can a stroke cause?", it states that it depends on the location and extent of the brain injury.<BR><BR>* Post-Stroke Rehabilitation: This fact sheet states: "Even though rehabilitation does not 'cure' stroke in that it does not reverse brain damage, rehabilitation can substantially help people achieve the best possible long-term outcome."&nbsp;<BR><A href=http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/poststrokerehab.htm">http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/poststrokerehab.htm</A><BR><BR>The NLM's index page on Stroke lists many more resources. I've just provided a sample. You may find percentage of recovery by reviewing more of them.<BR><BR>A health care provider may also be able to answer any specific questions that you might have. Be sure to check your local library for more materials on this topic.&nbsp; Academic and public libraries often&nbsp;subscribe to databases, such as Health Reference Center,&nbsp; which provide access to articles from peer-reviewed journals.<BR><BR>I hope this information helps!<BR><BR>Regards,<BR>Joyce W.<BR>Librarian/AskNSDL staff stroke rehabilitation http://vrd.askvrd.org/services/answerschema.xml