With more than 700,000 strokes in the United States each year, this catastrophic cerebrovascular event is one of the leading causes of death. What many don’t realize is that it is also the number one cause of serious long-term disability.
Many refer to stroke as a brain attack, probably because most strokes occur when a clot stops the blood flow to the brain, much as an arterial blockage cuts off circulation to or from the heart. This type of event is called an ichemic stroke. There is another kind of stroke in which a blood vessel breaks and bleeds into the brain. This is termed a hemorrhagic stroke.
Together, they can cause paralysis, cognitive damage that interferes with your ability to think clearly, blindness, emotional problems, and difficulty speaking. In addition to the human side of stroke, it also has a devastating economic effect. According to the National Stroke Association, the annual cost in the U.S. alone is estimated at $43 billion.
Gum disease has emerged in recent research as an important risk factor for ischemic stroke, the kind that involves a blockage that stops blood flow to the brain. The nature and extent of damage the stroke may cause depends on where in the brain it occurs and how wide an area it has deprived of critical nutrients.
One study examined oral infections as a potential cause for stroke. The findings determined that, in fact, people who had been diagnosed with an ischemic stroke were more likely than those in a control group to have gum disease.
…The carotid arteries, which are located on both sides of your neck and deliver blood flow to and from the brain, can be major sites for ischemic stroke. Gum disease plays a significant role here, too. It has been fingered as a culprit in the development of early atherosclerotic lesions in the carotid arteries. Researchers have also found that people who have gum disease are more likely to have thickened carotid arteries, which can also lead to stroke.
This blog was an excerpt from “Are Your Teeth Killing You” by Dr. Charles Martin. For more information about the association between gum disease and stroke, or to schedule an appointment, call (804) 417-7203 or visit us online at www.richmondsmilecenter.com.
