STROKE
Stroke was called apoplexy, which means “struck down by violence” in Greek. This was because a person developed sudden paralysis and change in well-being. Doctors had little knowledge of the anatomy and function of the brain, the cause of stroke, or how to treat it. 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 public.
TREATMENT
Emergency treatment for stroke depends on whether you’re having an ischemic stroke blocking an artery — the most common kind — or a hemorrhagic stroke that involves bleeding into the brain. Aspirin is an immediate treatment given in the emergency room to reduce the likelihood of having another stroke. Aspirin prevents blood clots from forming. To decrease your risk of having another stroke or transient ischemic attack, your doctor may recommend a procedure to open an artery that’s narrowed by fatty deposits like Carotid endarterectomy, Angioplasty and stents.
John Hopkins Medicine. (n.d). History of Stroke. Retrieved from http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/nervous_system_disorders/history_of_stroke_85,P00223/
Mayo clinic. (n.d.). Treatment of stroke. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stroke/diagnosis-treatment/treatment/txc-20117296.