A stroke is a medical emergency that occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is either interrupted or significantly reduced. Without oxygen or nutrients, the affected brain cells begin to die within minutes. The experienced team of neurologists at The Neurology Group treat acute stroke in the hospital, and help manage the long-term complications that follow at their state-of-the-art practice in Miami. If you or someone you love had a stroke, call or book your appointment online to find out how The Neurology Group can improve your post-stroke life.
Approximately 85% of all strokes are ischemic, meaning they’re caused by a blocked or narrowed artery. A thrombotic stroke is one type of ischemic stroke; it occurs when a blood clot forms in one of the arteries that supplies your brain with oxygen-rich blood. An embolic stroke occurs when a blood clot that formed elsewhere moves through your bloodstream and gets lodged in a narrow brain artery.
This less common type of stroke occurs when a blood vessel in your brain leaks or bursts. Uncontrolled high blood pressure and having weak spots in your blood vessel walls are just two of the many possible causes of a hemorrhagic stroke. When a hemorrhagic stroke takes place inside your brain, it’s called an intracerebral hemorrhage. When it occurs on or near the surface of your brain, it’s called a subarachnoid hemorrhage.
If you notice signs of a stroke in yourself or someone else, prompt medical treatment is critical. That’s because early intervention can be both life-saving and minimize brain damage and potential post-stroke complications. Common stroke symptoms include:
A stroke can cause temporary or permanent disabilities, depending on the part of the brain it affected, its severity, and the length of time it took to receive medical treatment. Post-stroke patients may experience:
For the more than seven million stroke survivors in the United States, post-stroke treatment includes therapy right afterwards, followed by on-going post-stroke rehabilitation. This approach includes treatments that address a patient’s underlying risk factors for stroke, to help prevent recurrence.
Physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, psychological therapy, and pain management are the main components of a comprehensive stroke rehabilitation program. Your physician at The Neurology Group tailors a treatment plan to your specific needs so that you can regain your strength and restore as much function as possible to help you live independently.
