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Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose

Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose: Symptoms and treatment of heroin overdose

Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose

Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose is everyone’s in the fight against drug addiction responsibility

Have you ever imagined life without drugs? This is not just intended to drug users but to everyone. The presence of drug abuse in any society is not just affecting the direct users, but also indirectly to their caregivers, family members and friends. Using drugs can only be compared to the body. If the body is healthy there is comfort and contentment all through, however if any part of the body is not well and is in pain the whole body will be suffering from that one condition. In the same way when one member of the family is misusing drugs, he will suffer directly but his family, friends and relatives will equally bear the pain indirectly. Therefore in the interest of offering lasting solution to this devastating problem, acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose would be very important as this will enable caregivers an opportunity to act timely before the addiction get out of manageable levels. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the direction heroin abuse is taking is worrying, currently more than 50 percent of people who use heroin have an addiction to the drug. This calls for an intervention so as to prevent further escalation of the problem. If you are wondering how to get this information, today is your lucky day because you are at the right place where health information is delivered with a lot of professionalism. Doctor Dalal Akoury is a veteran expert in addiction and she will be speaking to us about acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose in human life.

According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center which is one of the leading pioneers in natural and holistic addiction treatment formulated by doctor Dalal Akoury, heroin comes in a powder form that ranges from bright white to dark brown that users administer into their bodies either by mixing with water to inject, smoke or snort. Besides that, the other element of heroin is that which is known as the black tar heroin. This type of heroin has some resemblance of a tar. This type of heroin (black tar heroin) is typically injected into the by its users. Doctor Akoury advices that these drugs are very strong and dangerous and therefore when a person exhibits heroin overdose symptoms after using the drug, such individuals needs to seek and get help for the experts immediately. This treatment will be available at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury. All you have to do on your part is to call her today and schedule for an appointment with her for the commencement of your recovery journey. Now that you know where to get help, let us get into the discussion even as you consider making that appointment.

Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose: What is an overdose?

The term overdose medically has been misconstrued by many. Ignorantly you will hear discussions around overdose from people in hospitals or along the streets, and in most cases majority really doesn’t understand what it means. Doctor Akoury says that will occur when someone takes a large amount of a substance. Take note of the singular expression. It is not as many think that it is only the new users of heroin or those who use the drug most frequently. That is a misconception; overdose is an occurrence which can happen to any person. Nonetheless users are at risk of suffering an overdose because they might take a higher dose than intended. On the other hand long-term users of the drug can also suffer an overdose because of the tolerance the person has to the drug. It is however very important to appreciate that majority of people who take heroin cannot get the same rush after several uses as they did in the beginning. In that case, to get that initial rush, the user must take increasingly larger doses. The body adjusts to each new amount, which makes the person take larger and larger doses. When the body can no longer adjust to the increased levels of heroin in the system, it reacts in the form of heroin overdose symptoms. In addition, a user might encounter an unexpectedly pure batch of heroin, so that user injects more of the active ingredient than anticipated. This is sincerely very frustrating and all we can do is to pool together to bring this problem to a manageable levels.

Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose: The future of integrative addiction

In an effort to have everyone on board in the fight against drug addiction, overdose and its consequences, AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, one of the leading pioneers in natural and holistic addiction treatment, will be conducting the first ever Educational, Functional and Integrative Addiction conference tailored for professional including doctors, counselors, nurses and addiction therapists. The conference is schedule for August 23-25 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This new cutting edge in Addiction Medicine and it will be conducted by the most influential group of leading visionaries specializing in the latest advances in natural and integrative addiction medicine, under the theme “The Future of Integrative Addiction”.

We are very passionate about this integrative addiction conference 2015 whose mission is to deliver prevention education awareness options and support to patients including the physicians dealing with addiction globally. Our aim is to empower those physicians to be involved in the determination of their personal best answer for addiction by promoting patient-physicians awareness of a more natural yet still profoundly effective addiction treatment options that result in you thriving while surviving during treatment and recovery. We have prepared a very rich menu for you and throughout the integrative addiction conference 2015 we will be covering topic like addiction as a holistic body ecosystem derangement, the interaction between stress, survivorship, pain and addiction, the genetic and epigenetic influences on the disease of addiction, the role of hormonal imbalance in the disease of addiction, psycho neuroendocrine immune restoration essential to reverse addiction as well as new and future therapies in the horizon for addiction treatment including stem therapy for psycho neuroendocrine immune restoration.

With this rich menu you can’t afford to miss this one in a lifetime health conference. We want therefore to take this earliest opportunity to invite you whole heartedly to come and let us compare our experiences in dealing with this problem of addiction. for further enquiries about the conference, you can send all your queries to the event organizer through the email address or sharon@integrativeaddiction2015.com log in to the event web site for more www.integrativeaddiction2015.com you can also make a direct call to Sharon Phillips the event planner on telephone number 954 540 1896

 

Acknowledging the presence of heroin overdose: Symptoms and treatment of heroin overdose

 

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Addressing the problem of alcoholic relapse

Addressing the problem of alcoholic relapse: Risks factors for relapse

Addressing the problem of alcoholic relapse is very important in solving the problem of addiction. Many alcoholics who are on treatment often feel discouraged when they relapse, but this should not be the case as relapse in part of the healing process. all you need to do is to pick up the peaces and move on.

Addressing the problem of alcoholic relapse is very important in solving the problem of addiction. Many alcoholics who are on treatment often feel discouraged when they relapse, but this should not be the case as relapse in part of the healing process. all you need to do is to pick up the peaces and move on.

Alcoholism is a common problem globally and people of all walks of life are affected in equal measure. Alcoholism like any other drug has no respect to anyone irrespective of your social status, educational background, race, religion or any other you may think of. When treating this problem of addiction, there is bound to be relapse at some point of time either during or even after years of total recovery and abstinence. The efforts made to get alcohol out of your life could be through into the gutters if this problem of relapse is not properly addressed. That is why experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center have made it a priority in this article to formulate the modalities of addressing the problem of alcoholic relapse so that this problem of alcoholism can be dealt with permanently.

In all addictions relapse is very common and can happen to a patient several time during treatment or even after. Doctor Akoury is making it clear that the fact that relapses is almost inevitable, this should not cause any problem or even discouragement. Instead it should be seen as part of the treatment process and not really a failure on the part of the patient. As a matter of fact it this ever happens to you, you are only going to add on to the statistics. In other words, you are not going to be the first person to have been through this neither are you going to be the last. Therefore it will interest you to know that more that 80% and probably more have been affected with this problem of relapse, so never get scared it you relapse instead you should pick up the pieces and get back your focus to the objective of defeating the problem of whatever addiction you are struggling with. However in this journey of addiction recovery, knowledge in very important. Having your facts right will always help you deal with the problem as and when it comes. Therefore the following are some of the factors that will place one at a high risk of relapsing: Frustration and anger, social pressure and internal temptation. With this you will be able to take the appropriate action and in good time.

Addressing the problem of alcoholic relapse: Risk Factors

It is amazing that even with obvious health risk of alcohol people are still very much into drinking. It has become a global problem with the west taking the lead in alcohol abuse. America for example is struggling with this problem of alcohol abuse with most under age getting into drinking habit. Most American adults drink at levels that put them at risk for alcohol dependence and alcohol-related problems. Let us therefore look at some of the risk factors for alcohol dependence and they may include:

Addressing the problem of alcoholic relapse: Age

Drinking in Adolescence – we all know that alcohol consumption is very unhealthy in all dimensions, the risks of alcohol use gets more complicated depending on when one begins taking alcohol and the duration of usage. For instance anyone who begins drinking in adolescence is at risk for developing alcoholism. The earlier a person begins drinking, the greater the risk and so young people at highest risk for early drinking are those with a history of abuse, family violence, depression, and stressful life events. People with a family history of alcoholism are also more likely to begin drinking before the age of 20 and to become alcoholic. Such adolescent drinkers are also more apt to underestimate the effects of drinking and to make judgment errors, such as going on binges or driving after drinking, than young drinkers without a family history of alcoholism.

Drinking in the Elderly Population – Although alcoholism usually develops in early adulthood the elderly are not safe either. They are also affected though in a different way for example those who maintain the same drinking patterns as they age can easily develop alcohol dependency without realizing it. It will take a fewer drinks to become intoxicated, and older organs can be damaged by smaller amounts of alcohol than those of younger people. Besides all these, many medications prescribed for older people interact adversely with alcohol.

Addressing the problem of alcoholic relapse: Gender

There is no doubt that majority of alcohol users are men though the women population drinking is also rising by the day. Studies suggest that women are more vulnerable than men to many of the long-term consequences of alcoholism. For example, women are more likely than men to develop alcoholic hepatitis and to die from cirrhosis, and again they are more vulnerable to the brain cell damage caused by alcohol.

Addressing the problem of alcoholic relapse: Psychiatric and Behavioral Disorders

Psychiatric Disorders – Severely depressed or anxious people are at high risk for alcoholism, smoking, and other forms of addiction. Likewise, a large proportion of alcohol-dependent people suffer from an accompanying psychiatric or substance abuse disorder. Either anxiety or depression may increase the risk for self-medication with alcohol. Depression is the most common psychiatric problem in people with alcoholism or substance abuse. Alcohol abuse is very common in patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Long-term alcoholism itself may cause chemical changes that produce anxiety and depression. It is not always clear, then, whether people with emotional disorders are self-medicating with alcohol, or whether alcohol itself is producing mood swings.

Finally, I believe you’re up to date with the social aspects of alcohol use. In our introduction we illustrated how relapse is a common happening in addiction treatment and probably this is your area of concern. If that describes your situation then you are the person am looking for because am offering an opportunity to get over it in the most professional way. It is important to appreciate that you cannot go through it your own, you will need the opinion of experts in this line and Dr. Dalal Akoury who is also the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is the person you need right now. She made a decision to create a medical center whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. I beseech you to take the first step of scheduling for an appointment with this great professional for the commencement of your treatment today.

Addressing the problem of alcoholic relapse: Risks factors for relapse

 

 

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Effects of cigarette addiction on sexual health

Effects of cigarette addiction on sexual health: Smoking your sex life out

Effects of cigarette addiction on sexual health

Effects of cigarette addiction on sexual health are no more secretes because the suffering is being made public everyday.

If there is anything you must run away from in the world of drugs, it must be tobacco smoking. Tobacco is rich in nicotine which is very destructive to body organs and general health of humans. People who are deeply rooted into addiction are suffering all round and very little if not none at all can be admired in their habits. We appreciate that drug addiction is such a very wide topic with several substance of abuse but for the purpose of this article, we are going to be concentrating on the effects of cigarette addiction on sexual health. In other words we want to understand how cigarette smoking can impact on your sex life. This is a very interesting discussion and we are going to be talking to the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury MD and also the founder of the facility. Doctor Akoury has been in the medical practice well for over two decades dedicating her entire life of practice in helping both the young and old addicts across the globe recover from their various addictions. Therefore if you have been struggling with any form of addiction or if you know of anyone who is suffering from the same then you can schedule for an appointment with this great professional for the much needed professional help.

Now to the topic of discussion “the effects of cigarette addiction on sexual health” sex is very interesting and very important in human life. You must be aware that up to 99.99% of all birth is as a result of sex, in other words you and I were born or bought on this planet through sex. If this is that important like that, then we need to defend it by all means. It is quit unfortunate that we have chosen to indulge in certain life style which is very unproductive for our sexual life. In line with our discussion, cigarette smoking is one very important habit that is threatening to destroy our sexual life. This is because for us to have a meaningful sexual life there must be adequate and consistent flow of blood or blood circulation in the body for proper and sustainability of an erection during the process of sexual intercourse. The enemy number one of proper blood circulation is cigarette smoking since it exerts serious negative impact on the flow of blood by constricting blood vessels.

It is no wonder experts have from various research have established that smoking has serious negative impact on the arousal phase, erection and even lubrication. Therefore with these findings, we can categorically state that cigarette smoking is very harmful for sexual health by all standards. And besides that doctor Akoury says that the numerous substances contained within smoke alone may also exert a more immediate effects, leading to a significant reduction in erectile capacity after just a puff of one cigarette. Besides these other effects on sexual life that comes as a result of cigarette smoking may also negatively affect fertility, promote certain sexual diseases and lead to an early menopause. These dangers put together can only mean that cigarette addiction must be fought hard professionally and doctor Akoury will be very helpful if only you could call her today for an appointment.

Effects of cigarette addiction on sexual health: Effects of smoking on sexual health

The connection between long-term smoking and arousal disorders (erectile dysfunction or lubrication problems) is well known and has been demonstrated. Although it is true that sexual health problems may be caused by many things, it is important to observe smoking as a risk factor in itself, especially when an arousal problem suddenly develops. Smoking effectively poses certain well-known risk to cardiovascular health and given that circulation problems are the main physical cause of erectile dysfunction, it then becomes very clear that nicotine and tobacco will have a very negative impact on the sexual health of a smoker thanks to their detrimental effects on blood supply.

The correlation between erectile problems and cardiovascular illnesses, as well as the constriction of the penal arteries, underpins the concept of the “sentinel symptom”, given that erectile dysfunction can be an early warning sign of broader cardiovascular illnesses. Erectile dysfunction can therefore appear several years before the first cardiac symptoms. The harmful effect that smoking exerts on the whole network of veins seems to depend on the dosage and on how long the person has smoked.

Effects of cigarette addiction on sexual health: Physiology

It is important to appreciate the fact that the penis is not formed of bones and so the blood vessels in the penis are the ones that facilitate or cause an erection as a result to a build-up of blood in the spongy tissues of the reproductive organ. Should anything obstruct the arteries then the blood supply no longer reaches an optimal level and this will definitely cause problems. The constant flow of blood is so crucial that even a reduction of say 25% in blood supply is enough to affect the quality of an erection, whereas the supply in the coronary arteries must generally fall below 50% for physical symptoms of heart disease such as angina to become present.

That is why the specialized literature now recognizes that erectile dysfunction in men of all ages can be a useful warning sign of latent cardiovascular problems. Furthermore, the most commonly used medication for treating erectile dysfunction (e.g. Viagra®, Cialis®, Levitra®) act by increasing the blood supply, which emphasizes the importance of good circulation as a major contributor to adequate sexual arousal. Circulation problems in women can also lead to an insufficient level of arousal, for example, vaginal dryness.

Effects of cigarette addiction on sexual health: Smoking just one cigarette can affect erection

Among the innumerable active ingredients in tobacco, nicotine, carbon monoxide and certain free radicals are responsible for the constriction of blood vessels with a more immediate effect this has been well demonstrated by several studies in the recent past. An occasional cigarette can therefore lead to a significant decrease in erectile performance, for instance an increase of over 20% compared to a non-smoker!

Effects of cigarette addiction on sexual health: Tobacco is a risk factor

The high instance of smokers among sufferers of erectile dysfunction, significantly higher than in the general population (40% compared to 28%), clearly points to a straightforward correlation between tobacco and erection problems. Epidemiological studies suggest that smokers may be twice as likely to develop erection problems as non-smokers. The risk is obviously higher if we take into account the risks posed by other smoking-related conditions such as diabetes.

Effects of cigarette addiction on sexual health: Tobacco is harmful for sexual health

As it has been established in many studies, tobacco leads to an impaired arousal phase among men and women. However, the negative effects of tobacco are not limited to arousal and erection problems. Smoking can also affect fertility, effectively decreasing it among both male and female smokers and it can also cause problems during pregnancy. The anti-estrogen effect of smoking tends to bring the menopause several years e.g. 10 years upfront.

Finally considering that cigarette smoking is also very addictive, it will be very important that the effects of cigarette smoking on sexual health are not only addressed at that level but also as an addiction problem. We are privilege that doctor Dalal Akoury who is a professional in both conditions and have had a very good track record in her treatment undertakings for the past decades of professional practice. For those wishing to stop smoking and regain a functional and fulfilling sex life calling doctor Akoury will be the starting point.

It should also be noted that although sexual health problems do not generally affect life expectancy, they are more common than people think and considerably affect the overall health of an individual. Therefore individuals suffering from such should consider reaching out for doctor Akoury who will up on receipt of their appointment call, will carry out an evaluation on their individual situations and condition. Thereafter she will recommend the most appropriate recovery process.

Effects of cigarette addiction on sexual health: Smoking your sex life out

 

 

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Cocaine Addiction is hot in the street market

Cocaine Addiction is hot in the street market: Taking the addiction problem head on

Cocaine Addiction is hot in the street market

Cocaine Addiction is hot in the street market and this is posing a serious thereat to treatment

If you are in the US it will not surprise you that cocaine is rampantly abused. Even though the abuse of cocaine and drug addiction is a global problem, we cannot burry our heads on the sand and pretend that this problem is not in the US. In fact drug addiction is not just a problem, but a big one for that matter in the United States. Currently there are millions of people who are addicted to various drugs and millions more who suffer as a result of living with addicts. All drugs are in their own right addictive but cocaine in particular is quite a popular drug and the sad reality is that it is readily available in a wide range of settings including the streets, clubs, private parties and even schools. Did I just mention schools? Does that trigger something in your mind? It can only be construed to mean that cocaine addiction is raking havoc in our societies very in discriminatively. It is true that cocaine addiction is hot in the streets and you and I have a duty to play in containing the rampant spread.

Everyone is vulnerable and no one is safe. That is the reason why Dr. Akoury made a decision to create a medical center (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. And because of the vulnerability of our generation to this addiction problem, doctor Akoury is not only working on the programs that are tailored to helping the addiction victims but also those that are targeting the professionals in this addiction industry.

At the moment doctor Akoury is organizing for an Educational, Functional and Integrative Addiction conference targeting medical professionals including doctors, counselors, nurses and addiction therapists. The conference will be August 23-25 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This new frontier in Addiction Medicine will be conducted by the most influential group of leading visionaries specializing in the latest advances in natural and integrative addiction medicine, under the theme “The Future of Integrative Addiction” and just to give you the hint, the 3-day agenda kicks off with the keynote speaker, Dalal Akoury, MD discussing the hijacked mind. That is to say how does it get there and how does is leave?

Sean Devlin DO, HMD, will be focusing on “How to Recognize Addiction: Emergency care room and Addiction. Preliminary diagnostics and coping with life-saving measures when patients have overdose on substances of abuse/alcohol and drugs.

Dr. Kenneth Proefrock NMD will be lecturing on Naturopathic Considerations for Treating Patients with Addiction.

Doctor Elizabeth Stuller, MD will focus on Pyscho Neuroendocrine Immune Restoration essential to reverse addiction. She will address the Neurotransmitters and the proper Diagnostics tools including and Genetic Testing and clinical evaluations, she will also emphasis the role of Biofeedback and addiction therapy. She will also highlight the role of NAD.

William S Eidelman, MD an expert on eon Cranial Electrotherapy and Addiction: Will reveal A Revolutionary Breakthrough to Eliminate Cigarette Cravings.

Mitch Ghen DO, will be uncovering the Myth on Sex Addiction, with emphasis on Women Sex Addiction. Dr. Ghen will be providing information on effective natural therapies to treat sex addiction.

Shoreh Ershadi, PharmD, will underscore the Important Role of Menopause and Neurosteroids in Sexual, Gender and Addictive Disorders.

Sahar Swidan, Pharm.D, An authority on Pain and Addiction: Will discuss the role of Endocannabinoid receptors, deficiencies in the disease of addiction. She will also delineate the medical consequences and health implications of the new Marijuana Law.

These are highly respected professionals in their own right and their input in your career as an addiction professional is one thing you do not want to miss. We all have a duty to play in the fight a giants drug addiction and this conference gives you an opportunity to not only to meet your professional colleagues but also to expand your horizon in the way you handle your patients. As we get back to the discussion of the day you can get more information about this conference on www.integrativeaddiction2015.com or email sharon@integrativeaddiction2015.com.

Cocaine Addiction is hot in the street market: The addictive nature of cocaine

Undoubtedly, cocaine is very addictive and is considered a hard drug the world over. Experts say that once it gets into the bloodstream, it is capable of causing a significant increase in blood pressure which means that it affects the normal function of the heart.

In its addictive nature when the there is an overdose, normally in most cases the user is likely to suffer a stroke, especially if the drug is taken in several large doses. Doctor Akoury says that when the method of administration is through sniffing, this substance (coke) can also damage the membranes inside the nose and the consequence of this would be severe nose-bleeding and smell-sense impairment.

Cocaine Addiction is hot in the street market: The genesis of cocaine abuse

Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center say that this form of addiction is a process and not an event. It therefore means that the road to cocaine addiction will have to start from somewhere. We have already mentioned that this drug is easily available from various avenues including the streets. It can only mean that the long journey to addiction can start from either of the sources like from a party setting where the drug is readily available. Meaning that any person who has probably never used the drug before, might be tempted to have a taste due to peer pressure or sheer curiosity. In such a situation, the person is likely to convince themselves that they are just going to use the drug once and never do it again. And remember as mentioned, cocaine is very addictive and therefore what usually starts as recreational use eventually turns into a dangerous addiction.

We are definitely going to progress on with this discussion in our next article but in the meantime any individual who is addicted to this drug cannot function without a regular fix. It is no wonder that some such addicts are so deep into it that they are willing to do whatever it takes to acquire a few grams of their favorite drug. However, before you let this drug bring you down, there is good news for with at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Akoury. These are groups of professionals who have been in this profession for over two decades and scheduling for an appointment with her today will be the best thing you can ever do for yourself and to your loved ones too.

Cocaine Addiction is hot in the street market: Taking the addiction problem head on

 

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Stroke

Stroke: Saving The Penumbra

strokeStroke is one of the most dreaded life threatening and altering health conditions affecting the world’s population. Fear of stroke is majorly due to its lasting effects on surviving victims like paralysis. It is also feared due to the fact that it can cause death if not treated immediately and properly. Actually almost quarter of stroke victims always die. According to a 2004 research conducted by American Heart Association, about 700,000 new or recurrent cases of stroke occur yearly in the United States of America. According to the same study, about 4.9 million stroke survivors live today. The same research also estimates the direct and indirect costs of stroke to be about 53.6 billion American dollars. The 30 year projection by the study shows that these numbers will increase and as such outpace the overall population growth.

Available statistics is a pointer to the devastating effects that stroke has on the victims as well as o family and friends. Imagine your spouse, parent, child, brother/sister or your closest friend permanently paralyzed after a stroke. Now you have to spoon feed them, wash them and move them around on wheelchairs. Majority of survivors of stroke lose their jobs because of paralysis that renders them unable to perform at work.

The effects of stroke could be social, economic, physical and emotional.

Emotional effects of stroke

When a stroke victim is hospitalized, it affects their emotions due to the strange environment in the hospital. The change in routine and lack of ability to take in what is happening to them is a serious blow to their emotions.

Physical effects of stoke

Onset of stroke causes loss of power in the muscles of the face, trunk, arm and leg on one side of the body. The power however gradually returns in most cases. However, the limbs need to be put through a range of movements and placed in the right position lest they stiffen and become useless even with the return of power. Survivors may in such cases need to move around on wheel chairs and be assisted with their daily physical activities

Financial effects of stroke

Hospitalization bills, loss of employment and the cost of assistance that a stroke survivor would need are some of the financial implications of stroke.

Social effects of a stroke

After an attack by stroke, the life of the survivor greatly changes not only for them but for people close to them too.

What really is stroke?

It would not make sense to discuss stroke without giving its scientific definition and explaining how it occurs.

Stroke, also referred to as cerebro-vascular accident (CVA) is a medical condition resulting from cut-off of blood supply to part of the brain. Brain tissues in the affected area are damaged and eventually die off. This is because the interrupted blood supply deprives the tissues of oxygen and nutrients which they require to function always supplied in blood.

Depending on what causes the cut-off of blood supply to the tissues, there are two kinds of stroke:

  1. Ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot interrupts the supply of blood to the brain tissues in the affected area. This kind accounts for about 85% of all stroke cases.
  2. Hemorrhagic stroke results when blood vessels in the brain rapture and bleed thus interrupting supply of blood to the tissues of the affected area.

In the affected area, there are two major zones of injury:

  1. The core ischemic zone is the zone of severe ischemia with blood flow as low as 10 to 25%. This leads to loss of oxygen and nutrients thus energy stores are rapidly depleted. The result of this is death of neurons and supporting cellular elements
  2. Ischemic penumbra zone is a thin layer of tissues that are found between the core ischemic zone and the normally perfused area. Cells in this zone may remain viable for several hours since arteries anastomosing with branches of the blocked vascular tree supply blood to them. This supply is however not sufficient enough to sustain the neural nutrient and oxygen demand indefinitely. The cells of the penumbra will thus eventually die unless there is reestablishment of reperfusion during the early stages of stroke.

Saving the penumbra

StrokePharmacological interventions are most effective in the penumbra zone. All acute stroke therapies aim at saving the penumbra.

The only approved treatment for acute ischemic stroke to date is intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV t-PA). The aim of this treatment is to restore the patency of the artery and increase blood flow. This has the effect of reducing the amount of cerebral damage and in effect reduces functional deficits. Its use is limited to 3-4.5 hours after the onset of stroke. This is because chances of it causing a cerebral hemorrhage drastically increase after several hours.

Another treatment called Neurothrombectomy is approved in US for use in removing blood clots in a time span of 8 hours from the onset of stroke. It requires the services of an experienced invasive neurologist.

There exists an unmet need to develop more treatments of acute ischemic stroke.

For more information about bone marrow transplant and stem cell transplantation, visit www.awaremednetwork.com. Dr. Dalal Okoury has years of experience in integrative medicine and will be of assistance.

While at it, visit http://www.integrativeaddiction2015.com to learn about the upcoming integrative addiction conference 2015. The conference will deliver unique approaches to telling symptoms of addiction and how to assist patients of addiction.

Stroke: Saving The Penumbra

 

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