Bipolar Disorder: Nutrition As Medicine

Bipolar Disorder: Nutrition As Medicine: "Treating bipolar disorder with prescription medications may be a necessary first step to get the symptoms of this disease under control. However, the drugs used for this health problem are indeed...



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Stroke Recovery Goals

Hi

I call it pushing the envelope...gently. lol

I am posting a video from Jill the GoalGuru to help you understand why it is so important to set goals in stroke recovery. Physical goals, mental goals and benchmark goals, all kinds of goals.

Then as Jill says, "go for it!"



You see Jill overcame her fear and climbed the tower. (to the top) At the end of the video says that she climbed it three more times that day.

Jill said, after reaching her goal of climbing the tower then she felt like she wanted to climb something higher and bigger.

This metaphor can be applied to stroke recovery Our goal may not be as lofty at first but the same principals apply.

Set your stroke recovery goals and climb your stroke recovery tower. then do it again and again and again. Keep pushing the envelope gently!

Make stroke recovery your daily routine. (watch the video as many times as you need to...thanks Jill)

My name is Gary and I am a seven year stroke survivor.

Visit my web site

Join my net friends

Till next post,

Smiles :o)

Gary

Stroke Prevention

Hi and welcome back

Here is some very valuable information on "Stroke Prevention" found on the P.E.I. Heart &Stroke Foundation website.

This is information that everyone should be familiar with and it could very well save your life or the life of someone you love.

 

Stroke prevention

You can't control your family history, age, gender or ethnicity. But luckily, you can do something about other factors that could increase your risk of having a stroke such as obesity, diet, diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol.
Stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. Without oxygen-rich blood, brain cells begin to die. If the blood supply is not restored, the affected part of the brain dies, causing disability and death.
Help prevent a stroke by learning more about the risk factors you can do something about and those you can't control.

Risk issues you can do something about

• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• High blood cholesterol
• Heart disease atrial fibrillation
• Diabetes
• Being overweight
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Physical inactivity
• Smoking
• Stress
• Women's unique issues

Risk factors you can't control

• Age
• Gender
• Family History
• Ethnicity
• History of stroke or TIA

What is your risk?

Are you at risk? Take the Heart&Stroke Risk Assessment^TM and get a personalized risk profile and a customized action plan for healthy living that includes tips, tools, recipes and much more to help you reduce your risk.
For more information on stroke prevention, please read our brochure Taking control: Lowering your risk of heart disease and stroke.

I am a seven year stroke survivor.


Read my story

Join my Net Friends  


Till next post.


Smiles :o)


Gary

Stroke -- Heed the warning signs (by June Cheong)

Stroke -- Heed the warning signs (by June Cheong): "

By June Cheong (in Mind Your Body of the Straits Times dated 5 November 2009)

A stroke is a medical emergency and early detection and treatment will improve the chances of recovery

Not all stroke survivors end up severely disabled. Many have recovered well when medical attention is timely and treatment is sustained.

Anastasia Heng, 13, can attest to this. The Secondary 2 student suffered a stroke last December and lost the ability to perform daily activities like dressing herself as well as her language skills.
However, in less than a year, she has bounced back and can walk unaided and speak in full sentences again.

She said: 'I couldn't speak fluently at first.

'I found it difficult to understand what the teachers were saying when I went back to school in March. I had remedial lessons to help me adjust to school work.' (See 13-year-old stroke victim.)
A stroke is nevertheless a serious condition, being the fourth leading cause of death here and striking about 4 per cent of adults aged 50 years and above.

It is also the biggest cause of long-term disability in Singapore.

The risk of getting a stroke doubles for each decade of life after the age of 55. The risk is also greater if one's parent, grandparent or sibling has had a stroke.

A stroke occurs when blood fails to reach one or more parts of the brain, causing cells in the affected areas to die.

This in turn results in disability in that part of the body controlled by the affected part of the brain. Functions like motor skills, sensation, balance, and speech and language are susceptible.

Two kinds of strokes

There are ischemic as well as haemorrhagic strokes.

The former, accounting for 75 per cent of strokes here, is when arteries are blocked by blood clots or the gradual build-up of plaque and other fatty deposits.

The latter occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, leaking blood into the brain.
Blood circulation is vital for brain function because it supplies the organ with oxygen. Brain tissue stops functioning if deprived of oxygen for longer than 60 to 90 seconds.

'If the lack of oxygen persists, the brain cells suffer irreversible injury, leading to death of the brain tissue,' said clinical Associate Professor Ong Hian Tat, a senior consultant of paediatric neurology at University Children's Medical Institute in National University Hospital.

But not all the cells in the affected part of the brain will die because some blood will still reach it through secondary channels.

This means part of the affected brain tissue may only be injured and can potentially recover.
But time is of the essence.

Dr Rajinder Singh, a consultant neurologist at the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI), said the warning signs of a stroke include sudden onset of weakness or numbness, dizziness and having difficulty speaking, swallowing or walking.

Associate Professor Lee Kim En, a senior consultant and head of the department of neurology at NNI, said that while strokes are more common in men, more than half of the total stroke deaths occur in women.

He added that women above the age of 30 who smoked or took high-oestrogen oral contraceptives are 22 times more at risk of getting a stroke than the average person.
Pregnant women also have a slightly increased risk of stroke.

Other risk factors include being overweight, a diet high in salt and saturated fat, a sedentary lifestyle, excessive consumption of alcohol, smoking and stress.

A study published online last month by the British Medical Journal found that people who suffer from severe migraines are twice as likely to have a stroke.

The commonest causes of stroke in adults are atherosclerosis (a disease in which plaque builds up inside the arteries), hypertension and complications of diabetes mellitus.

Causes of stroke in children

Most childhood strokes are caused by impaired blood flow in the arteries as a result of thrombosis or embolism. These are frequently associated with other conditions, many of which are genetic.

Prof Ong said that causes of stroke in children include vascular malformation (abnormal blood vessels in the brain), blood disorders, auto-immune disorders, infections within the brain like meningitis and encephalitis and trauma.

But he added that strokes in children are relatively uncommon.

Treatment for strokes include medication or surgery and rehabilitation.
In an ischemic stroke, drugs like tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) - which dissolve blood clots - may be given.

Prof Lee said: 'tPA dissolves the clot and restores blood flow to the brain. It is effective only if given promptly. For maximum benefit, the therapy must start within three hours of the onset of stroke symptoms.

'It is thus critical that medical professionals and the public recognise stroke as a medical emergency and respond immediately.'

In a haemorrhagic stroke, surgery may be needed to stop the bleeding in the brain.
After a stroke patient's condition has stabilised, rehabilitation is paramount to his recovery.

Prof Ong said that neuronal reconnections in the brain occur with recovery. This means that the physical disability a patient suffers often improves because of the reconnections. He added that regular physiotherapy prevents the immobile limbs from becoming too stiff, helping a patient regain their function.

Asked if a stroke patient can regain full function, Ms Victoria Lai, a speech therapist at the department of rehabilitation medicine at National University Hospital, said: 'The majority of patients do not regain full function but this does not mean that they cannot learn to compensate for impairments or use strategies to overcome difficulties that remain.

'Many can return to a good quality of life and live successfully.'

Prof Ong added that rehabilitation is essential but it takes time.

Prevention tips include refraining from smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, sticking to a diet low in fat, salt and sugar and high in fibre, and going for regular check-ups.

Prof Lee reiterated the need to get medical help should signs of a stroke appear. He said: 'Stroke is a medical emergency. Every second counts.'

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AOL News Article, October 13, 2009

AOL News Article, October 13, 2009: "

“Wheelchair Recycler” Gives Back To Freedom: AOL News, October 13, 2009

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You Can Be A Stroke Hero...Learn To ACT FAST!

Hi

Learn to ACT FAST, so you will know what to do when someone with you suffers a stroke.



This is not rocket science. Anyone (yes, even you) can be a STROKE HERO!

Check out the FAST catalogue ( I do not receive any money if you use this link)

My name is Gary and I am a stroke survivor.

Read my story


Be one of my Net Friends

Till next post.

Smiles :o)

Gary

Is It a Stroke?

Is It a Stroke?: "When it comes to your health, strokes are serious business. Even if the symptoms of a stroke are minor, they can turn serious and cause significant long-term problems or even death. That’s why it’s...



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H1N1 Flu Vaccine

H1N1 Flu Vaccine: "This is a brief public service announcement from SCIENCEPODCASTERS.ORG. Vincent Rancaniello, PhD from This Week in Virology and Marc Pelletier, PhD from This Week in Biotech talk about the new H1N1 Infuenza vaccine.

It is safe and effective. I will get it myself and recommend it to all my patients.

Please share this announcement with others.

To learn more go to http://flu.gov or http://cdc.gov/h1n1.
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Denial is a River in Egypt

Denial is a River in Egypt: "I saw that on a sign about 6 months ago when I went to a rehab facility to see a patient. I was curious as to what the significance was, so I asked one of the therapists. He said it's a favorite saying in group therapy when one group member is in denial and starts making excuses for his or her drug or alcohol issues -- justifying behaviors. The group will shout 'Denial is a river in Egypt'. No denial allowed!

For some reason through out the week following that visit the sign kept haunti..."

Simple Method to Prevent a Stroke

Simple Method to Prevent a Stroke: "

A stroke may seem like something that only happens to other people — and the thinking is usually that those people are older, in ill health, and also have heart disease. But in reality, stroke can affect many different kinds of people and have a range of effects on their health, life, and physical and mental abilities.

Stroke: The 411

Simply put, a stroke is what happens when blood can’t reach the brain. This can happen for two main reasons: a blood clot or other blockage in an artery keeps blood from reaching the brain, causing an stroke; or a blood vessel bursts, causing a hemorrhagic stroke. (Another name that you may hear for stroke is cerebrovascular accident, or CVA.) When blood, and the crucial nutrients and oxygen it carries, can’t reach the brain, brain cells can quickly die, leaving permanent damage

About 700,000 Americans have strokes each year, and 150,000 of them will die as a result. There are approximately 5.7 million stroke survivors in the United States today, many of whom suffered permanent disability caused by their stroke.

Although strokes are the third most frequent cause of death in the United States, the good news is that nearly 80 percent of strokes can be prevented if people make lifestyle choices that help them maintain good health.

Stroke: Know the Symptoms

The warning signs of a stroke may include:

• Visual problems like a sudden change in vision or sudden double vision


• Numbness of the face, weak arms or legs, weakness on one side of the body


• Disorientation, problems with speech (e.g., slurred speech), and/or trouble understanding others


• Trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination


• Painful headache that comes on suddenly and has no known cause

Stroke: Risk Factors

Some stroke factors can be controlled; others can’t. Here are some key risk factors that you should be aware of:

• Age. Once you turn 55, your risk of stroke practically doubles every decade.


• Family and personal history. If a close family member has had a stroke, or if you have had a stroke, TIA ( transient ischemic attack, a small stroke that causes little or no damage), or heart attack, your stroke risk is increased.


• Other health conditions.High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and sickle cell anemia are all factors that increase your risk for stroke.


• Your lifestyle.Smoking cigarettes, eating a high-fat and/or high-sodium diet, being obese, and not getting enough exercise can all increase your risk of stroke.

Stroke: Early Treatment

Every second counts when restoring blood flow to the brain because with every second lost, more brain cells die. Early recognition of stroke symptoms is crucial — the sooner treatment is given, the better.

One of the best treatments for blood clots — the cause of ischemic strokes — is tissue plasminogen activator, or t-PA, a clot-busting drug that works quickly to dissolve a clot and restore blood flow to the brain. But it must be given within the first few hours after symptoms start. While t-PA is not appropriate for people who suffer a hemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke, about 80 percent of strokes are caused by blood clots.

Anti-clotting medications and other blood thinners may also be given to people who have had an ischemic stroke, to help reduce the risk of another blood clot forming. Emergency surgery may also be done to open a blocked artery or repair a burst blood vessel.

The best thing to do if you or someone you know may be experiencing symptoms of stroke is to call 911 to get the most immediate medical attention possible.

Stroke: The Recovery Process

Stroke survivors often face an uphill battle when it comes to recovery. Fifty percent of stroke survivors will suffer from disabilities that prevent them from completely taking care of themselves and their daily needs.

Complications that may follow stroke include communication problems involving both language comprehension and speech. Stroke survivors may also experience paralysis on one or both sides of the body, as well as loss of control over their muscles. Swallowing may be difficult; memory problems and loss of memory are also common, as are pain and numbness throughout the body.

Stroke is a frightening condition to deal with. While you can’t control all of the risk factors, you can influence a great many of them. Keeping health conditions under control and focusing on following a healthy diet, not smoking, and getting plenty of regular exercise can help to decrease you likelihood of having a stroke.

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