Other Names:
Apoplexy

Symptoms:
Light headedness, fainting, stumbling, blurring of vision, loss of speech or memory, numbness or paralysis of a finger, coma for short or long periods.

Cause:
There are four possible patterns which can result in a stroke:

An embolism is a clot that breaks loose and travels on up toward the brain, where the clot gets stuck in a smaller artery leading to the brain. This briefly cuts off blood flow to a portion of the brain.

A thrombus is a clot inside the brain which blocks the flow of blood to the brain.

An aneurysm is a portion of an artery that balloons outward. Filled with blood, this weak spot bursts.

A hemorrhage is a damaged artery within the brain which bursts.

Sometimes a tumor, not a clot, is blocking an artery supplying the brain.

Whatever the cause, the result is local brain tissue death from lack of oxygen and food.

If the damaged area is small enough, the brain will reroute the affected brain functions to other areas of the brain, as a period of relearning and compensation occurs.

Treatment:
• So many toxins flow into the blood stream, when the bowel is constipated, that Chinese medical practitioners prevent strokes and also treat them by eliminating constipation (see "Constipation").

• Aneurysms are often caused by copper deficiency which results in weakened elastic fibers. Once the damage occurs, supplementation with copper cannot repair it, but the copper can help prevent aneurysms from occurring (2-4 mg/day).

• Surgery will be required for existing aneurysms.