Other AreasPhenylpropanolamine (PPA)

Health Risks

What are the Health Risks?

Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) is a vaso constrictor. This means it causes the blood vessels to constrict or become smaller. This results in less blood flow throughout the body and higher pressure in the blood vessels. For some people, this may result in a rupture of the vessel and uncontrolled bleeding. In the brain, this would result in a so called "hemorrhagic" or bleeding stroke, commonly referred to as "bleeding in the brain."

What is a Stroke?

Like all cells, brain cells need oxygen to survive. Oxygen-rich blood, flowing through the body's circulatory system, provides vital oxygen to the brain cells. Any disruption of this blood supply to the brain is commonly known as a STROKE. Without blood to supply oxygen, brain cells are seriously damaged or destroyed.

What is a Hemorrhagic Stroke?

Strokes are generally categorized as being either ischemic or hemorrhagic. Ischemic, or bland, strokes occur when blood flow to the brain is cut-off because of a blockage within an artery. This is similar to a heart attack caused by cardio-vascular blockages. Ischemic strokes are usually the result of a blood clot that blocks the flow of blood to the brain.

A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when an intra-cranial blood vessel ruptures, reducing or disrupting the flow of blood to the brain. The sudden rupture allows blood to escape from the blood vessel and leak into the brain. This is why a hemorrhagic stroke is often described as "bleeding in the brain."

What are the Different Types of Hemorrhagic Strokes?

There are two types of hemorrhagic stroke. One type, commonly known as a intracerebral hemorrhage, involves a rupture of a blood vessel causing sudden bleeding WITHIN the brain itself. The other type of hemorrhagic stroke is referred to as a subarachnoid hemorrhage. This form of hemorrhagic stroke involves a rupture and bleeding in the tissues SURROUNDING (rather than within) the brain.

How is a Hemorrhagic Stroke diagnosed?

In order to determine the location and type of hemorrhagic stroke, doctors utilize cranial Computed Tomography (CT) scans and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). These diagnostic techniques provide images of the victim's brain enabling the treating physician to "see" what has occurred.

What are some of the Symptoms of a Hemorrhagic Stroke?

With hemorrhagic stroke, the results can vary dramatically. Symptoms may be slight and unnoticeable or they may be severe and catastrophic depending on where, in the brain, the bleeding occurs. The symptoms of hemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke may include any of the following:

• Severe Headache
• Sudden Dizziness or Loss of Balance
• Difficulty Walking
• Change in Vision
• Stiff Neck
• Trouble with Speech or Understanding Speech
• Sudden Mental Confusion or Speech Impairment
• Difficulty with Movement
• Numbness in the Face, Limbs, or Body (especially one side)
• Tingling Sensations

If you have experienced any of the symptoms discussed above, you should consult your doctor immediately to determine whether these tests are appropriate for you.

What are some of the Effects of a Hemorrhagic Stroke?

The effects of a hemorrhagic stroke cmay be slight and unnoticeable or they may be severe and catastrophic depending on where, in the brain, the bleeding occurs. Some of the effects are:

• Difficulty or problems processing information, concentrating, thinking, remembering;
• Difficulty swallowing;
• Loss of coordination and/or balance (Ataxia);
• Paralysis or Weakness;
• Difficulty with Speech (Aphasia);
• Difficulty Writing;
• Frequent Fatigue;
• Depression;
• Loss or Impairment of Bladder and/or Bowel Control.

If you are unsure whether you or a loved one suffered a stroke, contact your doctor immediately.

Web Sites that Provide Additional Information?

Following is a partial list of websites that provide stroke information and resources:

www.stroke.org
www.strokeassociation.org
www.strokepreventionplus.com
www.aphasia.org
www.therapistfinder.net/national/brain.html