What is a Stroke?

Simply put, a stroke is a “brain attack.” It is the loss or alteration of bodily function resulting from an insufficient supply of blood to the brain. Stroke can occur when a blood vessel carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain bursts or is blocked by a blood clot or another particle. The result is obstructed blood flow to the brain, and when an obstruction occurs, the affected area of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs.  Shortly thereafter, nerve cells begin to die.

In the United States, someone has a stroke every 45 seconds. That equals more than 700,000 strokes each year.  North Carolina has its fair share of that number – approximately 27,000 annually.  Despite its lack of publicity, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of long term disability.  In fact, about 14,000 North Carolinians are disabled by stroke each year, and more than 5,000 residents will lose their lives.

Stroke in not just a “man’s disease.”   Although most women are more worried about getting breast cancer that they are about their risk of stroke, twice as many women die of stroke than of breast cancer every year.  The truth is, more women will die of stroke than men.