History
of Stroke
Hippocrates, the father
of medicine, first recognized stroke over 2,400
years ago. At this time stroke was called apoplexy,
which means "struck down by violence"
in Greek. This was due to the fact that a person
developed sudden paralysis and change in well-being.
Physicians had little knowledge of the anatomy
and function of the brain, the cause of stroke,
or how to treat it.
It was
not until the mid-1600s that Jacob Wepfer found
that patients who died with apoplexy had bleeding
in the brain. He also discovered that a blockage
in one of the brain's blood vessels could
cause apoplexy.
Medical
science continued to study the cause, symptoms,
and treatment of apoplexy and, finally, in 1928,
apoplexy was divided into categories based on
the cause of the blood vessel problem. This led
to the terms stroke or "cerebral vascular
accident (CVA)." Stroke is now often referred
to as a "brain attack" to denote the
fact that it is caused by a lack of blood supply
to the brain, very much like a heart attack is
caused by a lack of blood supply to the heart.
The term brain attack also conveys a more urgent
call for immediate action and emergency treatment
by the general public.
Today,
there is a wealth of information available on
the cause, prevention, risk, and treatment of
stroke. Although there is no cure, most stroke
victims now have a good chance for survival and
recovery. Immediate treatment, supportive care,
and rehabilitation can all improve the quality
of life for stroke victims.
Click
here to view the Online
Resources of Cardiovascular Disease
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