Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention of Strokes
When the blood supply to the brain is interrupted or blocked for any kind of reason, the consequences are dramatic. Control over perception, movement, speech, or other mental or bodily functions is impaired, and consciousness itself may be lost.
Interruption of blood circulation to the brain may result in a stroke — a disorder that occurs in two basic forms, and both are potentially life-threatening.
Blood clots are formed near the brain.
Almost all strokes are due to blockage of the oxygen-rich blood flowing to the brain.
Ischemic strokes are triggered by either a thrombus (a stationary clot that forms in a blood vessel) or an embolus (a clot that travels through the bloodstream and becomes lodged in a vessel).
This type of stroke may be preceded by a brief transient ischemic attack or TIA — an episode of inadequate blood flow that may produce these symptoms:
– Weakness on one side of the body
– An inability to talk
– Double or blurred vision in one eye
– Sudden dizziness or falling
Causes:
– Atherosclerosis, hardening of the arteries.
– Other irregular heart rhythms or atrial fibrillation.
– Certain problems of the heart valve, including having an artificial heart valve, a repaired heart valve, heart valve disease such as mitral valve prolapse, or narrowing (stenosis) of a heart valve.
– Endocarditis.
– A congenital heart defect.
– Blood-clotting disorders.
– Inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis).
– Heart attack.
– Heart failure.
Ischemic stroke can be caused by low blood pressure (hypotension. It results in reduced blood flow to the brain.
Bleeding inside the brain (called intracerebral hemorrhage) or bleeding in the space around the brain (called subarachnoid hemorrhage) causes hemorrhagic stroke.
Treatment:
Initial treatment for a stroke happens in the hospital. Within the first few hours, the worst damage from a stroke occurs.
The less damage will occur, the faster you receive treatment.
Preventing
When your condition has been stabilized after emergency treatment, it then focuses on preventing another stroke. It is important to control your risk factors for stroke, such as atrial fibrillation, etc.
Changes in the lifestyle will also be an important part of your treatment, and this will help to reduce your risk of having another stroke:
– Do not smoke and also do not allow others to smoke around you.
– Reduction in consumption of alcohol
– Stay at a healthy weight.
– Do activities that raise your heart rate. Walking is a good choice. Do at least 30 30-minute workout on most of the weekdays.
– Eat a balanced diet, as in low in saturated fats, sugar, and cholesterol.
