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Barthel index
This assessment too is widely used in hospitals to measure how well you can carry out  daily living activities like using the toilet and getting dressed, and how good your mobility is. The assessment can be used to monitor improvements over a period of time.

Beta-blockers
Beta-blockers are a group of drugs that are used to lower blood pressure. They can also be used to treat a number of other conditions including angina, heart failure and migraine. Beta-blockers work by slowing down your heart rate and reducing the force with which blood is pumped around your body. This lowers your blood pressure.

Bilateral
A term which means involving or affecting both sides. With regards to stroke, it is usually used to describe something that affects both sides of the body, for example weakness.

Binge drinking
Drinking a large amount of alcohol over a short period of time. It is usually defined as drinking more than double the amount of units in a single session (consuming eight or more units for men, and six or more units for women). Binge drinking increases the risk of stroke as it can cause a sharp rise in blood pressure.

Blood pressure
Your blood pressure is the measure of how strongly the blood presses against the walls of your arteries as it is pumped around your body. It is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and a blood pressure reading has two figures, for example 120/80mmHg. The first figure is the pressure when your heart beats and the second figure is the pressure between beats. High blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for stroke.

Blood vessels
Blood vessels form part of the circulatory system that transports blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels. Arteries carry the blood containing oxygen and nutrients away from the heart out to the rest of the body. Capillaries are tiny blood vessels within the tissues of the body, and veins carry blood containing waste products like carbon dioxide back toward the heart and lungs.

Brainstem
This is the stem-like part of the brain, which links the two halves (hemispheres) of the brain to the spinal cord. It controls the flow of messages between the brain and the rest of the body. The brain stem contains some vital nerve cells involved with breathing, the heart, the eyes and many other important functions. A stroke that occurs in the brainstem can be very serious and can leave someone with locked-in syndrome – where someone is completely paralysed apart from eye movements, and usually has full awareness.

Bruit
This is a sound that can be heard when blood flow through an artery is turbulent. This could be because of a partial blockage in the artery, which could increase the risk of stroke.