Stroke

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is stopped, interrupted or when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients. Without a blood supply, the brain cells begin to die in minutes.

Signs and symptoms of a stroke are

• Unable to understand what the person is speaking
• Sudden paralysis or numbness of the face, arm, or leg may develop
• You may have sudden blurred vision
• Symptoms like severe headache along with vomiting, dizziness, or losing consciousness
• Losing balance while walking

Stroke may be caused by-

• a blocked artery (ischemic stroke)
• bursting of a blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke) or
• transient ischemic attack (TIA)- a temporary disruption of blood flow to the brain, that doesn't cause lasting symptoms.

The most common risk factors of the stroke are:

• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• diabetes
• heavy smoking and drinking habits
• obesity
• cardiovascular diseases, including heart defects, heart infection, or abnormal heart rhythm
• family history of stroke,
• covid-19 infection

Complications may be temporary or permanent. It all depends on which part of the brain lacks blood flow and for how long, will result in the following:

• paralyzed on one side of the body (loss of muscle movement)
• difficulty in speaking or swallowing
• memory loss
• the person may go into depression
• pain and numbness may occur in the parts affected by the stroke
• behavioral changes

To prevent the risk of having a stroke you can make some healthy lifestyle changes:

• Lower your blood pressure
• Reduce the amount of saturated fat in the diet
• Quit smoking
• Managing diabetes
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Eating healthy foods like fruits, and vegetables -that are rich in fiber
• Exercise regularly
• Treating obstructive sleep apnea - loud and constant snoring is the sign of this disorder, which can make you stop breathing many times during sleep
• Take medications regularly

Once the patient reaches the hospital, the doctor will try to determine what type of stroke you're having.

Some of the tests are:

• A physical exam
• Blood tests
• CT scan
• MRI
• Carotid ultrasound
• Cerebral angiogram
• Echocardiogram

Emergency treatment for stroke depends upon the type of stroke you have either ischemic or hemorrhagic.

Ischemic stroke: the doctors will try to restore the blood flow to your brain as soon as possible. It is done with:

• Emergency IV medication- medicines are given to break up the clot will be given intravenously within 4.5 hours from the time symptoms have started.
• Emergency endovascular procedures- the doctor may treat ischemic strokes directly inside the blocked blood vessel.

Other procedures are performed to decrease the risk of having another stroke, the doctor may suggest a procedure to open up an artery that is narrowed by plaque. They are:

• Carotid endarterectomy
• Angioplasty and stents

Hemorrhagic stroke: the doctor will try to control the bleeding and reduce pressure in the brain caused by the excess fluid.

• Surgery
• Surgical clipping
• Coiling (endovascular embolization)
• Surgical AVM removal
• Stereotactic radiosurgery