Able Mart

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 so important to know what a stroke is, how to spot it, and what you can do to prevent strokes or help someone who is having one.

While there are various types of stroke, including heat stroke and ischemic or mini strokes, they are all caused by similar problems.  A blockage in the brain blocks blood flow to a certain area and causes that part of the brain to be deprived of oxygen.  If the area goes too long without blood flow, there can be permanent damage or even death.

We live at a time when medicine has improved to a point where most Americans can expect to live to 80 years or more. That’s a 30 year increase from the beginning of the last century. The flip side of these medical advances is that many elders face some kind of chronic disability, and these disabilities often require care from a family member. The most common chronic situation afflicting older Americans are arthritis or declining hearing or vision–all of which require assistance to get through a normal day.

More family members are in a position of caretaker than ever before. Statistics show that, in the new millennium, providing care for a family member with a chronic illness or disability is becoming more and more common. Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia and memory loss are also adding to the caregiver burden. How stressful is it to deal with a loved one’s repeated questions, as well as dealing with moodiness, wandering, and incontinence?