A stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain is cut off or narrowed. This causes the brain to stop receiving oxygen and within a few minutes the neurons begin to die. This is a very serious health problem that requires immediate medical attention.
Causes of stroke
Blockages in the arteries
Cerebrovascular accident or cerebral infarction is a type of stroke that is basically caused by the existence of a blockage in an artery or the rupture of a blood vessel (in this case it is called hemorrhagic stroke). Sometimes there is only a brief interruption of blood flow to the brain that does not cause irreversible consequences. This is what we call ischemic stroke and it accounts for the vast majority of strokes. They are usually caused by a blockage of the arteries that go to the brain.
But there are more types of strokes, such as:
– Thrombotic stroke, caused by a thrombus or clot in one of the arteries that carries blood to the brain.
– Embolic stroke occurs when the clot is generated far from the brain, but through the blood it reaches the brain where the arteries are narrower.
– Hemorrhagic stroke is caused by a rupture in a blood vessel in the brain. In the case of hemorrhages, there are some clear causes behind their appearance. One of the most common is having high blood pressure.
Over the years, many elements that influence the occurrence of stroke have been identified. These are the most frequent:
– Obesity or overweight.
– Lack of physical exercise.
– Excessive consumption of tobacco, alcohol and drugs.
– High cholesterol level.
– Diabetes.
– Cardiovascular diseases.
– Genetic inheritance.
– Consume medications that contain estrogen.
– Interestingly, men and especially African Americans have a higher percentage chance of suffering a stroke.
The greatest danger comes when the period of time in which the brain does not receive oxygen is quite long. The risk is having serious consequences such as:
– Paralysis of a part of the body.
– Speech problems.
– Difficulty swallowing liquids and food.
– Some level of memory leak.
– Changes in behavior.
– Difficulty controlling emotions.
Stroke symptoms
You must call the doctor immediately
It is important to go to the doctor without wasting time when you notice some symptoms that may indicate the existence of a stroke, such as:
– Difficulty speaking and understanding what other people say
– Difficulty or even paralysis of some parts of the body, usually the face, arms and legs
– Vision problems
– Intense headache
It is useful to ask the patient some basic questions. For example, you have to try to make him smile. If when doing so you notice a decompensation between the two sides of the face, that is a clear symptom. If you speak clumsily or strangely, that’s also the case. Another exercise is to raise your arms. If you cannot do this, it is a clear symptom of a possible stroke.
Diagnosis of stroke
We must act urgently
It is essential to make a diagnosis as quickly as possible because acting quickly is key to achieving good results. The emergency doctor and his team must reveal what type of stroke you are facing and what areas of the brain are damaged. In addition, other possibilities must be ruled out, such as the existence of a brain tumor or an allergic reaction to a medication.
The first thing is to do the physical examination and perform a blood test to have more information about the clots and rule out possible infections. A CT scan is also usually done, which can help detect if there is a tumor, and an MRI, which will determine the affected brain tissue. There is a wide variety of tests. Another of the most common is cerebral angiography, which consists of introducing a catheter into the body, usually through the groin, and traveling through the arteries.
Stroke treatment and medication
Determine what type of stroke has occurred
Stroke treatment is different for an ischemic (with artery blockage) or hemorrhagic (with bleeding in the brain) stroke. In the first case, the essential thing is to recover normal blood flow to the brain. For this, medicines are used that help destroy clots. Rapid intervention improves survival chances and reduces complications.
The introduction of a catheter allows the medication to be brought directly to where the clot is. This catheter can also manipulate the clot and remove it, especially when it is large. To do this, a balloon is inflated to help expand the artery and, sometimes, a brace is placed so that the artery remains open.
In the case of a hemorrhagic stroke, the key is to control and stop the bleeding. Medications are used to reduce intracranial pressure), lower blood pressure and prevent seizures.
From the control of bleeding, we must ensure that the body can absorb the blood. Sometimes you have to resort to surgery and staple. Once you have acted quickly to stop the accident, you enter the recovery phase. The severity of the situation depends on the amount of tissues affected and their location in the brain. If the accident has affected the right side of the brain, movement and functionality on the left side of the body will be affected. And vice versa. If the accident affected the left side of the brain, movement on the right side will be affected and, in this case, may cause problems with speech. Patients subsequently need a rehabilitation plan, which will be tailor-made.
Stroke prevention
healthy lifestyle
The best prevention is to have a healthy lifestyle plan and follow some simple tips:
– Have hypertension under control.
– Avoid stress as much as possible.
– Do moderate exercise.
– Control weight.
– Do not smoke or drink excessive alcohol.
– Control cholesterol level.
– Balanced diet.
– Do not consume drugs.
– Consume preventive medications such as anticoagulants.
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