Summary:-
The word stroke comes from the idea of receiving a ‘strike’ or ‘blow’ as that is how quickly strokes appear – all of a sudden people are struck by this illness. Every year more than 15 million people worldwide have a stroke. Of these, five million die, and another five million are left disabled. Whilst most strokes occur in people over the age of 65 they can occur in much younger people too. A stroke is when any part of the brain loses its blood supply that prevents brain tissues to get enough oxygen and nutrients.
What exactly is a stroke?
The brain, like all parts of the body, needs oxygen, which it gets from the blood. A stroke happens when blood flow to the brain is cut off. When brain cells are starved of oxygen, they become damaged. Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or brain attack are other names of a stroke.
What are the types of stroke?
There are three main types of stroke.
- ISCHEMIC STROKE
- HEMORRHAGIC STROKE
- TRANSIENT ISCHEMIC ATTACK
The majority of strokes are blockages. It’s important to identify early on which sort of stroke has happened, as they each have very different treatments.
BLOCKAGE STROKE OR ISCHEMIC STROKE:-
Blockage strokes are commonly caused by the build-up of fatty material in blood vessels. This fatty build-up may lead to a clot which blocks the blood supply, just like in a heart attack. This is why a stroke can be thought of as a ‘brain attack’. A clot may occur within the brain or it can travel from another part of the body, commonly the blood vessels in the neck. Clots can also travel from the heart, which may happen when you have an irregular heartbeat called ‘atrial fibrillation’, or A.F.
BLEEDING STROKE OR HEMORRHAGIC STROKE:-
Bleeding strokes happen when a blood vessel bursts suddenly, causing blood to leak in or around the brain. In these strokes, blood on the brain can lead to swelling; a serious problem which may require surgery in some cases.
TRANSIENT ISCHEMIC ATTACK:-
Sometimes, stroke symptoms completely disappear in less than 24 hours. This is called a mini-stroke or T.I.A. Often, symptoms only last a few minutes, but just like with a full-blown stroke you must go to hospital immediately if you suspect a T.I.A. This is because a T.I.A is a warning sign that you are at high risk of having a full stroke. ACCORDING TO CDC More than a third of people who have a TIA and don’t get treatment have a major stroke within 1 year. As many as 10% to 15% of people will have a major stroke within 3 months of a TIA.
SYMPTOMS OF STROKE:-
- Sudden onset of weakness or numbness on one side of the body.
- Sudden speech difficulty or confusion.
- Sudden difficulty seeing in one or both eyes.
- Sudden onset of dizziness, trouble walking or loss of balance.
- Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.
RISK FACTORS:-
- Being overweight or obese
- Physical inactivity
- Heavy or binge drinking
- High blood pressure
- Cigarette smoking
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- sleep apnea
- Cardiovascular disease, including heart failure, heart defects, heart infection or abnormal heart rhythm, such as atrial fibrillation
- Personal or family history of stroke, heart attack or transient ischemic attack
TREATMENT:-
Whether you have a T.I.A or a full stroke, daily medications are started and continued lifelong to help prevent further episodes. The effects of a stroke can be disabling, but given time, the brain can slowly adapt to recover some previously lost abilities. This is why stroke rehabilitation is so important. Rehab can be challenging, but many specialists are on hand to help alongside doctors and nurses .If stroke causes difficulty swallowing, dieticians can recommend special diets or feeding tubes. If you have problems with communication, speech and language therapists can help. If it has become difficult to walk or perform daily tasks, physiotherapists and occupational therapists can offer exercises and home adaptations. Also, after a stroke people often feel low or frustrated that they can’t do the things they used to, and don’t like being dependent on others. Counsellors can help talk through these feelings and many patient groups are available for further support.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES:-
Even if you’ve already had a stroke in the past, there are many small steps we can all take to reduce our future risk of having a stroke, such as: lowering high blood pressure (the number one cause a stroke) ,stopping smoking ,lowering cholesterol ,being more active, eating healthily, lowering alcohol intake to within recommended limits . If you have diabetes, keeping good control of blood sugar levels.
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