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Cerebrovascular Accident or CVA

A cerebrovascular accident is also known as a stroke or brain congestion. The terms "cerebral infarction" or "cerebral haemorrhage" correspond to two ways in which these CVA can occur.

How can you recognise it?

There are many kinds of cerebrovascular accidents.

They can have:
- different ways of occurring
- different ways of developing
- many locations in the brain

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What should you do in the case of a cerebral accident?

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What happens with a cerebral accident? The various kinds of CVA.

In the majority of cases, a cerebral artery is obstructed: this is an ischaemic accident.

If the ischaemia (lack of oxygenation) continues for a certain time, it is called a cerebral infarction

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The causes of CVA

ISCHAEMIC ACCIDENTS OR CEREBRAL INFARCTIONS have three completly different main causes: atheroma (which causes a thrombosis), certain heart diseases responsible for embolisms (above all atrial fibrillation), and diseases of the small cerebral arteries.

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Location in the brain of CVA

Each zone of the brain has a precise function. This means that the location and extent of the CVA determine the neurological deficit (the zone of the brain which does not function causes an anomaly of movement, speech, sight ...)

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How CVA develops?

A cerebral accident can be transient. In this case, it is almost always an ischaemic accident in the way it occurs: this is a Transient Ischaemic Accident.

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What happens after a CVA?

DURING THE FIRST FEW DAYS, the threat to the vital organs is considerable. The risk is that the lesions inside the brain, may worsen and there is a risk of complications.

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The consequences of CVA

The long-term after-effects of a CVA are extremely variable. Sometimes there is no loss. However, conversely, it is often a dreadful personal and family tragedy.

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CVA and cerebral aging

Abnormal cerebral aging, which doctors call senile dementia, is an overall diminishing in intellectual capacities. Without reaching this stage of dementia, cerebral aging can be revealed by a lessening of the "cognitive functions".

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Treatment of CVA

Hospitalisation is always necessary, often in an intensive care unit. The initial treatment of CVA is first of all the prevention of complications. (See how CVA develop).

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Dr Elkik

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