What Is a Colossal Stroke?

The Stroke Awareness Foundation indicates that stroke is the third most-prevalent cause of death in the United States, claiming the lives of 160,000 Americans each year, and the leading cause of disability across the country. In some cases, stroke symptoms and repercussions may be minor; in others, a colossal stroke may lead to extreme incapacitation, coma and death.

Identification

• The phrase "colossal stroke," also commonly referred to as a "massive" stroke, is a colloquialism---rather than a precise medical term---for a major stroke that causes significant damage to the brain. A stroke occurs when the flow of blood to the brain is interrupted, either due to a blood clot or blockage of the carotid arteries, the arteries running through the neck and to the head; or because of a significant hemorrhaging of blood into the brain as the result of a ruptured artery.

Types

• Strokes are categorized as either ischemic or hemorrhagic.
  An ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel leading to the brain. Among iscemic strokes, a thrombotic stroke is the result of a clot that forms and blocks an artery, while an embolic stroke is the result of a clot that forms elsewhere in the body and then travels to the brain before blocking an artery.
  A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a weakened blood vessel in the brain ruptures. The resulting hemorrhage damages brain cells.

Significance

• In some instances, a stroke may be minor and the individual may remain unaware of symptoms or experience minimal symptoms. A stroke is considered to be colossal, or massive, however, when extensive damage results in paralysis, loss of speech, loss of cognitive ability, or coma. The degree of damage is dependent on the amount of brain cells destroyed, either because of oxygen deprivation or bleeding into the brain. In some cases, disability may be minimized if immediate emergency treatment is received and drugs known as "clot-busters" are ingested.

Treatments

• Therapeutic techniques to care for a stroke patient are based on the severity of the condition. "Caregivers may need to show the person pictures, repeatedly demonstrate how to perform tasks, or use other communication strategies, depending on the type and extent of the language problems," reports the U.S. National Library of Medicine. "In-home care, boarding homes, adult day care, or convalescent homes may be required to provide a safe environment, control aggressive or agitated behavior, and meet medical needs."

Warning

• Although people of any age may experience a stroke, the majority of stroke victims are 65 or older. Distinct warning signals of a stroke include loss of balance when walking, slurred speech or a droopy face, vision loss or a severe headache. "The loss of physical and mental functions is often permanent and can include motor-function disability," the Stroke Awareness Foundation notes.
  The most effective treatment for stroke, according to the foundation, is that which is administered within three hours of the onset of stroke.