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HEMORRHAGIC STROKEPPA RISKS The ingestion of PPA poses a health risk in the form of a heightened chance of hemorrhagic stroke. PPA is a vaso constrictor, which causes a narrowing of the blood vessels so that less blood is able to flow through at a time. Less blood flow through the body heightens pressure in the blood vessels. For certain individuals, this can cause the vessel to rupture and bleeding uncontrollably. In the brain, this would cause a hemorrhagic stroke, which is essentially a "bleeding in the brain." WHAT IS A STROKE? Referred to in the medical world as a cerebrovascular accident, a stroke is a lack of blood flow to the brain that causes damage to brain tissue. The cause of this is most often a blood clot in an artery that has been narrowed by atherosclerosis. However, it can also be cause if an artery leaks blood. The resulting damage to the brain and the effects to the individual are determined by the length of time the brain is without proper blood flow, the affected area of the brain, and how prompt the medical treatment. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF A STROKE? A cerebral hemorrhage can begin quite suddenly and can evolve for several hours. Symptoms often include:
When the hemorrhage is a subarachnoid type, warning signs (abrupt headaches, nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light, and various neurologic abnormalities) can occur from the leaky blood vessel a few days to a month before the aneurysm fully develops and ruptures. When the aneurysm actually ruptures, the stroke sufferer often experiences a severe headache, stiffness of the neck, nausea and vomiting, confusion, and altered mental states. As well, the vicitim’s eyes may become fixed in a single direction or lose vision completely. There is a possibility of a general stupor, body rigidity, and, in some cases, a coma may occur.
WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR A STROKE?High Blood Pressure contributes to nearly 70% of all strokes. Two numbers are used to denote blood pressure: the systolic pressure (the higher and first number) is measured as the heart contracts to pump out the blood; the diastolic pressure (the lower and second number) is measured as the heart relaxes to allow blood to refill the heart between beats. High diastolic pressure appears to pose a particular risk. This is why the use of PPA, which causes higher than normal blood pressure, poses such a health risk for the incidence of hemorrhagic stroke.
Each year, more than 150,000 Americans die after suffering stroke. In fact, more injuries are caused by stroke that any other medical condition. Over 30% of all strokes claim the life of the victim within the first 30 days. Fortunately, over 50% of stroke sufferers do survive for five years or longer. Hemorrhagic strokes, similar to that caused by PPA, have a lower chance of survival than those who suffer ischemic strokes. For those that survive a hemorrhagic stroke, there is a high risk of rebleeding or other complications such as blood vessels going into spasm and depriving the brain of oxygen. Roughly 33% of all stroke survivors experience neurological problems and nearly all have some degree of injury in the brain.
HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF FROM PPA? When purchasing over-the-counter weight loss, appetite suppressant, nasal decongestant, or cold and cough medication, always examine the list of active ingredients on the back for phenylpropanolamine or PPA. As well, always check with your health care provider or pharmacist to see whether your prescription contains PPA. Many products on the market do not contain phenylpropanolamine. If these doctor-prescribed products do contain PPA, discuss alternative, safer choices with your appropriate healthcare provider. PPA Hemorrhagic Stroke Information |
