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Saint Agnes Medical Center announces its recertification as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission (2013). Saint Agnes is one of more than 925 certified primary stroke centers in 48 states. read more >>

Neurology is a branch of medicine that involves the care and treatment of the nervous system, brain, spinal cord, nerves, muscles and pain. As you can imagine, this is a vast area of medicine, requiring neurologists with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system. One of the areas that neurologists focus much of their attention and resources on is educating the public about stroke (also known as a brain attack).

What is a Stroke/"Brain Attack"?



Stroke or "brain attack" is the country's fourth leading cause of death, and is the largest single cause of neurologic crippling in our country. In fact, every minute in the United States, someone experiences a stroke. They occur when an artery that carries blood to the brain becomes clogged and/or bursts. When that happens, a part of the brain is deprived of the oxygen it needs to function properly, causing brain damage or death.

Two major types of stroke or "brain attack" are:

  • Blockage: a clogged cerebral artery. About 85 percent of all brain attacks are caused by a clogged artery.
  • Hemorrhage: bleeding in the brain caused by a blood vessel that bursts. Patients suffering from high blood pressure are often at a higher risk for this type of brain attack. About 15 percent of all brain attacks result from hemorrhage.

For more information on stroke or "brain attack", click here.

For more information about Saint Agnes Stroke Program, call (559) 450-3585.

©  2014 
