A Stroke is a disorder of the blood vessels within the brain. Common causes are hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure, heart disease, stress, smoking or obesity. When a Stroke occurs, part of the brain is damaged by its blood supply being blocked or by bleeding. Although the damaged area is often quite small, there may be considerable effect on bodily functions. The type of disability the person suffers and its severity depends on the part of the brain which has been affected, and the size of the damaged area.
Some people suffer only mild and passing effects.
Many people with stroke are admitted to hospital to a general medical ward or Rehabilitation Unit, where they receive expert treatment and rehabilitation involving the collaboration of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and social workers. The brain call heal after an injury, with recovery depending on the severity of damage. Recovery is most rapid for the first three to six months after the Stroke. The recovery period however, never ends, as the possibility of further improvement is always there.