Best mattress Reviews

Simmons Beautyrest 
Best innerspring mattress

Mattress Reviews

Confused about mattresses? You're not alone. Shopping for a new mattress can be almost as overwhelming as buying a new car. Knowing the differences between types and understanding 
pricing can help you make a purchase you won't regret. Rest assured, ConsumerSearch.com consults objective buyer's guides and user ratings to identify the best brands among different 
types of mattresses.

Top 5 Best Matress

Simmons Beautyrest, Tempur-Pedic, Ikea Sultan, Comfortaire
 and OrganicPedic by OMI

Simmons Beautyrest

Best innerspring mattress

Pros

Good initial comfort

Pocket coils isolate motion well

Variety of styles and prices

Cons

Premature sagging is common

Little warranty coverage for sagging

Complaints about customer service

Bottom Line

The biggest advantage of the Simmons Beautyrest line is its superior motion isolation provided by its signature pocket-coil design. These mattresses are very comfortable and supportive when new, but they often begin to sag within a few years, becoming less supportive and even painful to sleep on. Simmons' warranty is average for an innerspring mattress, but the company gets more complaints about its service than any other.

Comfort

Very comfortable, at first. Owners of Simmons Beautyrest mattresses say they're very comfortable when new, providing good support that minimizes pressure points, reducing pain and improving sleep quality. Professional tests say the Beautyrest mattress provides better support for side sleepers than for back sleepers, but premature sagging tends to undermine their long-term supportiveness. At least 16 percent of owners experience pain, usually in the back, as a result of a sagging mattress. Another 10 percent find the mattress uncomfortably firm or uncomfortably soft, but with a good range of firmness levels to choose from, consumers should be able to avoid that problem by shopping carefully.

One strong suit of the Simmons Beautyrest is its ability to isolate motion. Mattresses are constructed with each spring encased in its own fabric pocket, so less movement transfers across the bed. This makes them more couple-friendly in one way, since partners are less likely to disturb each other at night, but it also eliminates much of the bounciness that makes innerspring mattresses good for sex. As for temperature, it's not a problem for most users: Only about 6 percent say the mattresses feel uncomfortably warm at night. This problem is most common with models that have a thick pillow top or contain a lot of memory foam.

Value

Don't expect great service. Simmons Beautyrest mattresses come in a wide range of styles and prices. The basic Classic model can cost as little as $880 for a queen size, while the top-of-the-line Beautyrest Black may cost more than $5,000. These are list prices and sales are common, so the price you pay should be considerably less. Beautyrest owners don't often grumble about the price, but they do complain at length about Simmons' customer service, especially for warranty claims.

The warranty on Beautyrest mattresses is typical for an innerspring. Lower-priced models are covered for 10 years while high-end models are covered for 20 years, prorated after the first 10 years so the customer pays a share of the repair costs. The most common problem with mattresses is sagging and the Simmons warranty covers this, but only if the mattress has developed an indentation at least 1.5 inches deep.

Although this is typical coverage, many customers consider it inadequate. Moreover, reviews at Viewpoints.com report a variety of additional service problems. After paying $100 to return the old mattress, one owner received a defective replacement that began falling apart within two weeks. Another was denied coverage because of three tiny stains on the mattress cover. And these don't appear to be isolated complaints. Simmons' current rating of C with the Better Business Bureau is the lowest grade for any major mattress manufacturer, and most grievances concern warranty and quality-control problems.

Durability

Premature sagging is common. Many innerspring mattresses have issues with sagging, and the Beautyrest line is no exception. At least one in four owners say that within a few years, their mattresses began to sag or develop impressions from the weight of their bodies. Posts at Viewpoints.com report sagging problems starting anywhere from five months to five years after purchase. Models with a thick pillow top or comfort layer are most prone to sagging, while firm ones hold up better; one owner at Viewpoints.com who bought "the firmest mattress Simmons had on the market" says that after 13 years, "it is still as firm as the day we bought it."

However, even the firmest models in the Simmons Beautyrest line are one-sided, which means they can't be flipped to extend their lifespan. Owners tend to keep this mattress about six years, and reduced comfort or support due to sagging is the most common reason for replacing it. This puts the longevity of a Beautyrest mattress pretty close to the average for innersprings.



Others

(Tempur-Pedic, Ikea Sultan, Comfortaire and OrganicPedic by OMI)

Tempur-Pedic

Best memory foam mattress

Tempur-Pedic is the leading brand of memory foam mattresses, and it earns high overall satisfaction ratings from buyers. Owners praise the mattresses' comfort, durability and long warranty, but many find them uncomfortably warm and say their body-molding surface makes moving around difficult. 

Pros

Contours to body and isolates motion

Can reduce pain

Excellent warranty

Cons

Costs more than other foam mattresses

Hard to move on; not good for sex

Retains body heat

Ikea Sultan

Best latex foam mattress

Although there are few latex mattress reviews, the Ikea Sultan receives positive feedback from multiple sources. About four out of five owners like the mattress, especially its overall value. Most find Sultans comfortable, but they may be too firm for side sleepers. They also have a tendency to sleep hot.

Pros

Comfortable for most users

Good value with long warranty

Environmentally friendly

Cons

May retain body heat

Return policy allows exchanges only

Warranty doesn't cover sagging

Comfortaire

Best air mattress

Although Comfortaire mattresses aren't covered in many sources, they earn better overall ratings than any other air mattress. Owners say they offer good comfort and pain relief, and there are no significant problems with bunching or sagging in the middle. The air pump can be noisy, however. 

Pros

Adjustable firmness

Isolates motion well

Long lifespan

Good customer service

Cons

Requires assembly

Air pump can be noisy

Mechanical problems are common

OrganicPedic by OMI

Best green mattress

No mattress gets better marks for eco-friendly design than the OrganicPedic line by OMI; both innerspring and latex models are made entirely from natural and sustainably produced materials. Many mattresses have a separate pillow top that can be replaced if it starts to sag, rather than replacing the whole mattress. However, it all comes at a steep price. 

Pros

Handmade in the U.S.

All-natural, sustainably sourced materials

Wide range of prices and styles

Latex foam isolates motion well

Cons

Not widely available

Costs more than any other mattress


Take note:

An ancient Egyptian bed has a wooden frame carved to re­semble the legs and head of a cow.

A Chinese bed of the 1400's rests on a low platform and in­cludes curtains, a canopy, and carved wooden railings.

A French bed in the Empire style of the early 180o's is made of mahogany and decorated with metal designs coated in gold.

large timber rails supported by heavy square posts.

A truckle bed is a low bed on wheels that can be stored under a larger bed. Such beds were popular in the 1800's.

An aluminium bed has a slender framework that create the streamlined effect typical of modern furniture design.

Bed is an article of furniture used for sleeping or rest­ing. Throughout history, beds have ranged from simple, straw-filled mattresses to elaborate pieces of furniture with elegant frames and decorated with rich fabrics. Like other furniture, beds often have served as symbols of social rank and wealth.

Types of beds. Most modern beds consist of a frame, also called a bedstead. Accessories called bed­ding are usually added. These accessories generally in­clude a mattress, sheets, blankets, and pillows. Bedding may also consist of a duvet (a down- or fibre-filled cot­ton bag). A waterbed is a frame bed with a mattress that consists of a vinyl bag filled with water. Dual-purpose beds can be used as sofas. A Murphy bed folds up on hinges into a cupboard. In Japan and Latin America, many people sleep on straw mats laid on the floor. The Japanese futon has a layered cotton mattress on a fold­ing base. Some people in hot climates sleep in ham­mocks (hanging beds made of cloth or net with ropes at­tached to each end, which are themselves tied to hooks in walls, to posts, or to trees).

History. Early civilizations had beautifully decorated beds. The ancient Egyptians, who created the first fine furniture, slept on low wooden couches with legs shaped like animals. Some couches were covered with gold, ivory, or paint. Instead of pillows, the Egyptians used curved, wooden headrests. Ancient Greek and Roman beds resembled Egyptian couches. Because the Greeks reclined while they ate, couches were used for dining as well as sleeping. The Chinese used beds with ornamental canopies. However, for thousands of years, the most common type of bed was the pallet, which was a mattress laid on the floor and filled with straw, reeds, wool, or feathers. The quality of the filling depended on the wealth of the owner.

During the Middle Ages, few European houses had a separate room for sleeping. Instead, all members of the household slept on pallets arranged around the central fireplace of a common room. Only royalty and the wealthy had bedsteads, which generally consisted of large timber rails supported by heavy square posts.

Most beds were placed against a wall or in a corner. Curtains or sliding wooden panels surrounded the bed to provide warmth and privacy.

By the late 1400's, tall, sometimes intricately carved posts had been added to the rectangular frame to sup­port the canopy and curtains. Elaborately decorated beds of the nobility and the wealthy, called state beds, were hung with velvet, silk, and other luxurious fabrics. Such beds frequently became the most expensive piece of furniture in a household. During the 1600's, beds first became fairly common in middle-class homes. The frames were light with carved wooden posts. Some beds of this time had a truckle bed, a low bed on wheels that could be rolled under the main bed.

Beds of the 1700's and 1800's generally took on a simpler, more graceful appearance. Canopies and hanggings became especially elaborate.

Buy Now

Other Brands
Comfortaire, TempurPedic, Ikea Sultan and OrganicPedic

Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer
What Do You Need To Know

Selected Videos:
What is Cancer?

Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer Animation

Consideration in Advance

African-American Men

Cancer refers to any one of a large number of diseases characterized by the development of abnormal cells that divide uncontrollably and have the ability to infiltrate and destroy normal body tissue. Cancer also 

has the ability to spread throughout your body. 

Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States. But survival rates are improving for many 
types of cancer, thanks to improvements in cancer screening and cancer treatment.

Prostate cancer is cancer that starts in the prostate gland (cancer of the prostate gland). 
The prostate is a small, walnut-sized structure that makes up part of a man's reproductive system. 
It wraps around the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body.

What is prostate gland?

Only men have prostate gland and it is part of the male genital system. It feels like a rubbery mass on rectal examination and is like the size of a large marble. The prostate gland lies on the floor of the pelvis and positions itself between the penis and the bladder.

Prostate cancer is a disease which only affects men. 

Cancer begins to grow in the prostate - a gland in the male reproductive system.  The word "prostate" comes from Medieval Latin prostate and Medieval French prostate. The ancient Greek word prostatesmeans "one standing in front", from proistanai meaning "set before". The prostate is so called because of its position - it is at the base of the bladder.

The prostate is a gland found only in males. It is located in front of the rectum and below the urinary bladder. The size of the prostate varies with age. In younger men, it is about the size of a walnut, but it can be much larger in older men. The prostate's job is to make some of the fluid that protects and nourishes sperm cells in semen, making the semen more liquid. Just behind the prostate are glands called seminal vesicles that make most of the fluid for semen. Theurethra, which is the tube that carries urine and semen out of the body through the penis, goes through the center of the prostate...read more>>

During a digital rectal exam a physician feels the prostate—a small gland that produces seminal fluid—for abnormalities. Annual DRE screenings for males over the age of 50 helps to indicate the sign of prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer Prevention

You can reduce your risk of prostate cancer if you:

Choose a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables.

Choose healthy foods over supplements.

Exercise most days of the week.

Maintain a healthy weight.

Talk to your doctor about increased risk of prostate cancer.

Surprising Health Benefit of Sex 

Take note that sex is good for you in ways you may never imagined

and that the health benefits extend well beyond the bedroom.

Prostate Cancer
Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

Prostate gland is an organ of the male reproductive system. It secretes a thick whitish fluid that helps trans­port sperm. All male mammals have some form of pros­tate gland. In men, the prostate is just below the urinary bladder and directly in front of the rectum. It weighs about 20 grams and is about the size of a chestnut. The prostate consists of muscular and glandular tissue and has a tough, fibrous surface.

Sperm is produced in the testicles and travels through two tubes to the prostate. There, the tubes con­nect with the urethra, the channel through which urine flows from the bladder and out of the body. The fluid se­creted by the prostate mixes with the sperm. This fluid nourishes the sperm and helps transport it from the body through the urethra.

Abnormal enlargement of the prostate, a condition called hyperplasia of the prostate or benign enlarge­ment of the prostate, is common among men over 50 years of age. An enlarged prostate can press on the ure­thra. Such pressure can make the passing of urine from the body difficult and may result in bladder infection or kidney damage. In many cases, treatment includes the surgical removal of part or all of the prostate.

Cancer of the prostate may also strike older men. In most cases, it spreads from the prostate to other parts of the body before being detected. The cancer is stimu­lated by the male hormone testosterone, which is pro­duced by the testicles. If the cancer has spread widely, doctors treat it with female hormones or by castration (removing the testicles surgically). If the cancer has not spread beyond the prostate, the diseased tissue is re­moved. See also Reproduction (diagram: Human reproduc­tion).

Prostate cancer prevention

You can reduce your risk of prostate cancer if you:

Choose a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables. Avoid high-fat foods and instead focus on choosing a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Fruits and vegetables contain many vitamins and nutrients that can contribute to your health. One nutrient that is consistently linked to prostate cancer prevention is lycopene, which can be found in raw or cooked tomatoes.

Whether you can prevent prostate cancer through diet has yet to be conclusively proved. But eating a healthy diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables can improve your overall health.

Choose healthy foods over supplements. No studies have shown that supplements play a role in reducing your risk of prostate cancer. While there has been some interest in vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin E and selenium, to lower prostate cancer risk, studies haven't found a benefit to taking supplements to create high levels of these nutrients in your body. Instead, choose foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals so that you can maintain healthy levels of vitamins in your body.

Exercise most days of the week. Exercise improves your overall health, helps you maintain your weight and improves your mood. There is some evidence that the men who get the most exercise have a lower incidence of prostate cancer when compared with men who get little or no exercise.

Try to exercise most days of the week. If you're new to exercise, start slow and work your way up to more exercise time each day.

Maintain a healthy weight. If your current weight is healthy, work to maintain it by exercising most days of the week. If you need to lose weight, add more exercise and reduce the number of calories you eat each day. Ask your doctor for help creating a plan for healthy weight loss.

Talk to your doctor about increased risk of prostate cancer. Men with a high risk of prostate cancer may consider medications or other treatments to reduce their risk. Some studies suggest that taking 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, including finasteride (Propecia, Proscar) and dutasteride (Avodart), may reduce the overall risk of developing prostate cancer. These drugs are used to control prostate gland enlargement and hair loss in men.

However, some evidence indicates that men taking these medications may have an increased risk of getting a more serious form of prostate cancer (high-grade prostate cancer). If you're concerned about your risk of developing prostate cancer, talk with your doctor.

What does the prostate gland do?

It secrets a protein-like mixture rich in albumin for the sperms to live on and it also acts as a transport medium for the sperms. Semen is a mixture of sperms and a collection of fluids secreted by the seminal vesicles, bulbo-urethral glands and the prostate gland.

Cancer of the Prostate Gland

It is the most common cancer in men worldwide (21%), followed by lung cancer (19%) and bowel cancer (15%). Every year it is the second most common cause of cancer death in men (12%) behind lung cancer (34%) and ahead of bowel cancer (11%). Treatment depends on the staging of the cancer and may comprise a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and hormone therapy.

Screening and early detection of prostate cancer

There is a protein in the blood called Prostate Specific Antigen, PSA. It is produced by cells in the prostate gland and is thought to play a role in preventing semen form coagulating.

According to certain researchs, 60% of men with early stage prostate cancer already have an elevated PSA level above the highest value found in the normal population             (4 ng/mL). Therefore, the blood test of PSA can be used to screen for the presence of this cancer.

PSA levels usually begin to rise 2-3 years before prostate cancer begin to invade the surrounding tissue. Therefore annual tests allow early detection of most cancers while it's still confined within the prostate gland.

Infection and benign enlargement of the prostate may also cause elevated PSA levels in the blood. The level of PSA in benign hypertrophy of the prostate is relatively stable or rise slowly. The PSA level in prostate cancer is 10 times higher for any given gland size that when no cancer is present.

The symptoms of prostatitis will be recognised by your doctor and the PSA levels will fall to normal after treatment.

Take note

A few men with prostate cancer may have normal PSA levels. Thus, the test should be used in combination with rectal examination and rectal ultrasound examination.

Monitoring of prostate cancer

PSA and Prostatic Acid Phosphatase blood levels may be used to monitor the treatment of prostate cancer.

A fall in both markers suggest a good response to treatment. A stable level shows control has been achieved. Rising levels will detect recurrence after treatment. However, a small proportion (10%) of usually advanced cancer will stop producing PSA. The standard marker Acid Phosphatase is then available for assessment.

Prostate enlargement

Prostate enlargement is very common and it affects half of all men over the age of 60 and about eighty percent of men over 80 years of age.

Married men experience prostate enlargement more than single men.

A history of prostate enlargement in your family also increases the odds that you too will experience the problem.

Protecting your prostate

The prostate gland is located just below a male's bladder and surrounds the top portion of the tube that drains urine from the bladder (urethra). The gland's primary function is to produce most of the fluids in semen, the fluid that nourishes and transports sperm.

Causes

As you get older the male hormone testosterone is converted to a metabolic byproduct called dihydrotestosterone. This reaction is facilitated by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase.

Dihydrotestosterone is proposed as one of the causes of prostate enlargement.

Diagnosis of enlarged prostate Test may include:

Digital rectal exam: To feel for prostate enlargement.

Urine test: To eliminate other diseases with similar symptoms.

Blood Test: To detect high levels of PSA (prostate specific antigen)

Ultrasound: To estimate the size of your prostate gland.

Signs and symptoms

Only about half the men with prostate enlargement experience signs and symptoms that become noticeable. These signs and symptoms may include:

Weak urine stream

Urgent need to urinate

Difficulty starting urination        

Not being able to completely empty the bladder

Dribbling at the end of urination           

Blood in the urine (hematuria)

Frequent need to urinate 

Urinary tract infection

Increased frequency of urination at night (nocturia)

Avoid

A lifestyle high in saturated fat such as meat, milk and butter, excessive alcohol consumption and stress.

Increase

The consumption of soy products, pumpkin seeds and the lignans found in flaxseed oil. Zinc found in oysters, sunflower seeds and wholegrains has been shown to inhibit the activity of 5-alpha reductase.

Alternative Medicine

Extract from the berries of Saw Palmetto has been studied in large about its effect on reducing the activitiy of 5-alpha reductase and inhibit prostate tissue growth.

Making some lifestyle changes can often help to control the activity of 5-alpha reductase and inhibit enlargement of the prostate.

Sources:
Prostate cancer - Mayo Clinic

Prostate enlargement - Mayo Clinic. 

Saw Palmetto for prostate enlargement. Scientific Research Institute of Urology, Moscow, Russia, Advances in Therapy,2002.

5-alpha-Reductase Inhibitors Prevent the Progression of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. Rev Urol. 2003;5 Suppl 5:S12-21

Healthcare group (Diseases)

Digital rectal exam

Stroke

Stroke/Mini Stroke 
Stroke is a major health problem throughout the world, 
accounting for 10 to 15 per cent of all deaths.

A stroke is a condition in which the brain cells suddenly 

die because of a lack of oxygen. 

A stroke can be caused by an obstruction in the blood flow, or the rupture 

of  an artery that feeds the brain.

The patient may suddenly lose the ability to speak, there may be memory 

problems, or one side of the body can become paralyzed.

Who gets stroke?

Anyone can suffer from stroke. Although many risk factors are out of our control, 

several can be kept in line through proper nutrition and medical care.

Risk factors for stroke include the following:

Age - as you get older your risk increases.

Being male.

A family history of stroke.

High blood pressure.

High cholesterol.

Smoking cigarettes.

Diabetes.

Obesity and overweight.

A previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).

High levels of homocysteine (an amino acid in blood).

Divorced men have a higher risk of stroke.

Heavy use of alcohol

Researchers from the University of Lille Nord de France, Lille, France, reported in the journal Neurology that heavy regular drinkers have a considerably higher risk of stroke early in life compared to others.

Depression

Middle-aged women with clinical depression have a higher risk of stroke, researchers from the University of Queensland, Australia, reported in the journal Stroke.

The authors gathered data on 10,547 Australian females aged from 47 to 52 years. They found that women with depression are more likely to have a stroke by a factor of 2.4, compared to women without depression.

Even after taking into account known stroke risk factors, depressed middle-aged women were still 1.9 times more likely to have a stroke.

Caroline Jackson, Ph.D., said "When treating women, doctors need to recognize the serious nature of poor mental health and what effects it can have in the long term. Current guidelines for stroke prevention tend to overlook the potential role of depression."

The researchers emphasized that although the risk was higher for women with depression, their total risk of stroke was still low.

What is Stroke?

Stroke is a medical emergency and a leading cause of death in the U.S. It occurs when 
a blood vessel in  the brain bursts or, more commonly, when a blockage develops. 
Without treatment, cells in the brain quickly  begin to die. The result can be serious 
disability or death. If a loved one is having stroke symptoms,  seek emergency medical 
attention without delay.

Signs, symptoms and treatment

If a stroke has occurred, treatment should begin as soon as the stroke is diagnosed 

to ensure that no further damage to the brain occurs. Initially, the doctor may administer

 oxygen and insert an intravenous drip to provide the affected person with adequate nutrients and fluids.

Older stroke victims are getting a raw deal from the age discrimination that dominates the Health Service, researchers claim. They say younger patients receive a better level of care, including more diagnostic tests and lifestyle advice. The study, by doctors at Mayday University Hospital, Croydon, South London, assessed the treatment given ....read more>>

Stroke is the sudden loss of brain function. It is a med­ical emergency that may result in paralysis, severe brain damage, or death. Most strokes occur when a blood clot or some other material blocks the flow of blood to the brain, interrupting the brain's supply of oxygen and nutrients. If the blockage persists for more than a few minutes, permanent brain damage occurs. Strokes may also result when a blood vessel ruptures and causes bleeding into the brain or into the fluid around the brain. The bleeding produces pressure that damages brain tissue, resulting in the loss of function.

Stroke is a major health problem throughout the world, accounting for 10 to 15 per cent of all deaths. It is the third leading cause of death in industrial countries, behind heart disease and cancer. Most people who sur­vive their first stroke soon regain some lost brain func­tion and may regain more over several years. Victims of two or more strokes are more often disabled. Most stroke victims are age 65 or older.

Symptoms of stroke depend on the areas of the brain affected. The most common symptoms include sudden weakness, loss of sensation on one side of the body, partial loss of vision, dizziness, slurred speech, mental confusion, and personality changes. Symptoms commonly worsen over the next several hours or days. For this reason, stroke patients should be hospitalized.

In some patients, the progression of symptoms leads to coma and death. In some minor strokes, symptoms dis­appear in less than a day. Such transient ischaemic at­tacks (TiA's) often precede more serious strokes.

Causes. The majority of strokes are caused by block-age of blood circulation to the brain. Such blockage may result from either cerebral thrombosis or cerebral em­bolism. Cerebral thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms in one of the major blood vessels supplying the brain. It is most often associated with atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) in the brain or the neck. Fac­tors that increase the risk of cerebral thrombosis from atherosclerosis include hypertension (high blood pres­sure), diabetes, high blood levels of cholesterol, and cigarette smoking (see Arteriosclerosis). Cerebral em­bolism involves a clot that forms in another part of the body, usually the heart or a major artery. The clot is then carried in the bloodstream until it lodges in a blood ves­sel that supplies the brain. Cerebral embolism is com­mon in patients with heart disease and atherosclerosis of the large arteries.

Another major cause of strokes is cerebral haemor­rhage, bleeding into the brain from a ruptured blood vessel. Cerebral haemorrhage can be caused by hyper­tension, malformations of the brain's arteries and veins, or especially in elderly people, disease of brain arteries (see Cerebral haemorrhage). Strokes also may result from bleeding into the cerebrospinal fluid. This kind of bleeding is called subarachnoid haemorrhage. It often results from a cerebral aneurysm, a defect in the wall of a blood vessel in the brain.

Prevention. To avoid strokes, people with high blood pressure should take measures to reduce their blood pressure by changing their diet or by taking med­ication, as directed by their doctor. In many people with atherosclerosis or irregular heartbeats, doctors pre­scribe taking aspirin daily to help prevent stroke.

Drugs called anti-coagulants thin the blood and can help prevent strokes in patients with certain types of heart disease. Patients with severe atherosclerosis and narrowing of the large arteries, especially the carotid ar­teries in the neck, may benefit from a surgical proce­dure called carotidendarterectomy. This procedure re­moves the hardened inner lining of the carotid arteries, allowing blood to flow freely and preventing the forma­tion of clots in the arteries.

Diagnosis and treatment. Doctors diagnose stroke from the patient's symptoms. After reaching a diagnosis, the doctor tries to establish the cause and location of the stroke. Treatment is based on preventing complica­tions and reducing the risk of a second stroke. Depend­ing on the disability suffered, stroke victims can develop pneumonia, bed sores, infections, and abnormal heart rhythms.

Rehabilitation. The goal of stroke rehabilitation is to help victims regain lost physical function. The success of rehabilitation depends mainly on the patient's ability to cooperate with therapists. Stroke patients work chiefly with physiotherapists, speech therapists, and occupa­tional therapists. Physiotherapists help paralysed stroke patients move their arms and legs to prevent muscle stiffening. Physiotherapists use exercises and treatment with heat, water, and massage to help patients perform daily tasks. Speech therapists help stroke victims who have lost speech. Occupational therapists help patients coordinate hand and eye movements to perform such basic tasks as writing and preparing food. See Physio­therapy; Speech therapy; Occupational therapy.

Scientists have conducted much research on how the brain recovers its ability to function. Such research offers hope that someday all stroke victims will be able to regain full use of their brain. See also Aphasia; Hypertension.