Common Stroke Terms
Activities of daily living ( ADLs ): functions that are done on a daily basis , such as dressing , eating , walking , personal hygiene , and communication .
Ambulation : walking or gait .
Aneurysm : a bulging of the wall of an artery that forms a thin-walled bubble .
Anomia : the inability to name objects or persons .
Anticoagulants : medicine that prevents blood clots from forming in blood vessels .
Antiplatelets : medicine that thins the blood and keeps platelets from sticking together to help keep blood clots from forming .
Aphasia : the inability to express and / or understand speech or language .
Aspiration : the inhalation of food or fluids into the lungs instead of going down to the stomach .
Ataxia : inability to coordinate movements of arms and / or legs .
Atrial fibrillation ( A-Fib ): an irregular heartbeat that can allow blood in the heart to form a clot , break off , and travel to the brain , causing a stroke .
Carotid arteries : arteries that run up each side of the neck into the brain , which may become blocked by plaque , causing decreased blood flow to the brain and resulting in a stroke .
Carotid endarterectomy : surgery in which plaque in a blocked carotid artery is removed .
Coagulation : the process of blood clotting in the blood vessels .
Cognition : the ability to think . Deficits : a lost skill such as talking or walking .
Delayed cerebral ischemia : the development of new areas of stroke that developed after the initial stroke has occurred . Typically seen in conjunction with vasospasm .
Depression : prolonged feeling of sadness that may be caused by brain damage from a stroke or by the response to the losses caused by the stroke .
Dizziness : sensation of lightheadedness or spinning .
Dysarthria : slurred speech due to weakness of certain muscles in the mouth , face , neck , or throat .
Dysphagia : difficulty swallowing or inability to swallow .
Embolism : a blood clot that forms outside of the brain that breaks away and travels to the brain .
Emotional lability : uncontrollable mood changes such as crying , laughter , or anger .
Gait : ambulation or walking .
Hemianopia : blindness or defective vision in one half of the field of vision .
Hemiparesis : weakness of the arm and / or leg on the same side of the body .
Hemiplegia : paralysis of the arm and / or leg on the same side of the body .
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