Stroke

What Is It?

Strokes occur when the blood vessels in the brain burst or become blocked. With a blocked blood vessel, oxygen can't flow to certain areas in the brain. Within minutes, those parts of the brain will start to die, causing a loss of basic functions including speech and movement.

You can tell that someone is having a stroke because one side of their body will suddenly become paralyzed or less mobile. In addition, the person having a stroke might have trouble understanding words or speaking. Sometimes, people also start to lose their peripheral vision.

People who are having a stroke need to be rushed to the hospital immediately. If left untreated, strokes can cause irreparable damage to the brain and nervous system.

For some people, the symptoms of a stroke are subtle, and for others, the symptoms are more pronounced. Slightly slurred speech and temporary paralysis are both possible during a stroke, but it is impossible to predict who will experience what symptoms.

Strokes are more common among older adults, but younger people can experience them as well. High blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol are all factors that can contribute to causing a stroke, but you can never know when, where, why, or whether a stroke will happen.

Strokes can be scary situations to experience and witness. Oftentimes, people do not know what is happening. One minute, you or your loved one may be communicating and functioning normally. Moments later, that same person will collapse, have trouble speaking, be unconscious, or be unable to move. It is important to stay calm and understand that the situation is a medical emergency. Keep everyone calm, especially the person who is having the stroke.

Types

There are two types of stroke. An ischemic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked due to a clot. This type of stroke is most common in populations of older adults. Hemorrhagic strokes occur due to a leaking or burst artery in the brain. Even though hemorrhagic strokes are rare, they are more deadly because the bleeding in the brain can cause damage or death.

Symptoms & Warning Signs

Strokes can occur at any time without warning. In most situations, the symptoms will be sudden. Strokes can vary in intensity, producing common symptoms that include:

• Sudden vision problems such as double vision, blurry vision, dimmed vision, and blindness in one or both eyes
• Numbness or weakness on one side of the body
• Full paralysis of the arm, leg, face, or full body
• Slurred or unintelligible speech
• Dizziness or unsteadiness that hits suddenly with difficulty balancing or walking
• A sudden and severe headache
• Confusion and inability to understand what's going on and what people are saying

Causes & Risk Factors

Strokes occur when a brain vessel becomes blocked or bursts. Hypertension (chronic high blood pressure), high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, alcohol use, and obesity are all risk factors that can cause someone to have a stroke. People over 55 years old with a family history of stroke are at an increased risk. People who have had a stroke in the past are likely to experience additional strokes.

There is no way to predict when, where, or in what circumstance a stroke may occur.

Prevention & Treatment

Diet and exercise are the most effective preventative measures for strokes. By eating a balanced diet and maintaining a fitness routine, you can take efforts to prevent conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

A person who has an ischemic stroke needs treatment immediately. Medical professionals with treat the stroke with the objective of removing the clot and restoring blood flow to the brain.

People who show symptoms of a stroke need immediate treatment. The medication used to dissolve the clot is most effective when administered within 90 minutes of when the stroke begins.

Surgery can be an effective way to remove a clot or to repair damage from a hemorrhagic stroke. Removing a clot and repairing damage are effective techniques for restoring blood flow to the brain. To be effective, emergency surgery needs to occur almost immediately after the onset of a stroke. The surgeon's objective will be to save as much brain tissue as possible.

Tests & Diagnosis

• MRIs and CT scans produce images that allow medical professionals to detect abnormalities such as clots in the brain. These scans can indicate whether other brain problems, such as tumors, are present.
• An angiogram is an X-ray procedure that tracks blood flow in the vessels in the head and neck. Angiograms can show blockages in the brain blood vessels in addition to the blood vessels that travel to the brain through the neck. Doctors will sometimes track the pattern of blood flow to determine if any additional conclusions are possible. Angiograms require the injection of a dye, so it is important to tell your doctor if you are pregnant. You should also tell a doctor if you have asthma, allergies with any medicines, bleeding problems, kidney problems, diabetes, breathing problems, or kidney problems.
• A Doppler ultrasound can track blood flow through the vessels and arteries using sound waves. The doctor will move a transducer, a handheld device, over the skin in order to monitor the blood vessel. The device uses a microphone to amplify sent and received sound waves. The pitch will change according to blood movement. If there is no blood flow due to a clot or for another reason, the pitch will not change.
• The doctor may also order an electrocardiogram to check for potential heart problems that may have played a part in causing your stroke.
• The doctor might conduct blood tests to measure blood sugar, check electrolytes, and determine how long it takes for blood to clot. Other medical conditions could have contributed to or caused your stroke to occur.

For effective treatment, a stroke needs to be diagnosed within three hours of the initial symptoms. For this reason, it is important that you see a doctor as soon as symptoms are evident.