What is a stroke?
A stroke happens when a blood vessel in the brain bursts (hemorrhagic stroke) or when the blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly cut off, usually by a clot (ischemic stroke). Brain cells die when the blood supply of oxygen and nutrients stops or when there is an unexpected bleeding into or near the brain.Strokes can also be referred to as “brain attacks” and are just as severe as heart attacks.
There are newer therapies that can significantly lessen stroke damage, but timing is important. To prevent disability and death, it’s critical for being aware of the risk factors for stroke, recognizing the symptoms, calling 995 immediately and going to a hospital as soon as you can.
Symptoms of a stroke
Strokes occur unexpectedly and without warning, therefore they are dangerous. Watch out for these warning indicators that someone is having a stroke:
- Numbness or weakness that happen suddenly, often on one side of the body. (A simple approach to do this is to ask the person to lift both arms and smile. Check whether one arm is weaker or lower than the other or if one side of the face droops.)
- Sudden confusion, difficulty to speak or understanding speech.
- Sudden vision problems in either one or both eyes.
- Sudden difficulty to walk, nausea or lack of coordination or balance.
- Sudden intense headache with no apparent explanation.
The risk factors for a stroke
A stroke can be so devastating that the best medicine is still prevention. Unfortunately stroke risk increases as people start to age, but there are other controllable factors. The following groups of people should take steps to lower their risk and make sure they (and those close to them) are aware of the symptoms of a stroke.
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Obesity
- High cholesterol
- Smoking
- Heart condition
- Diabetes
Most people can lower their risk of stroke related to all of these factors by making lifestyle modifications. Cardiovascular health depends on eating a balanced diet, keeping a healthy weight and exercising frequently. Additionally, there are medications that can help with the management of hypertension, cholesterol, blood sugar, weight and the urge to smoke.
Effects of stroke in short- and long-term
Despite occurring in the brain, stroke can have an impact on the entire body. Two typical stroke-related problems are hemiplegia (total paralysis on one side of the body) and hemiparesis (weakness on one side of the body). Additionally, survivors may struggle with memory, comprehending, speaking, thinking, consciousness, attention, learning, judgement, emotions and mood.
Depression is a common complication of a stroke and may result from alterations in the brain or problems brought on by both temporary and long-term functional impairments. The functionality and general quality of life of a stroke survivor can be significantly enhanced by post-stroke therapy, though.
Stroke survivors may continue to feel numbness, discomfort or unusual feelings, usually in the hands and feet. Movement and temperature changes, especially cold ones, might aggravate post-stroke discomfort. Sadly, stroke recurrence is quite common. About 25 percent of stroke survivors who recover from their first stroke will have another stroke within 5 years. [ National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) ]