By Dr Khushboo Shah Sawant
Stroke is a medical emergency, which occurs when the blood supply to the brain is stopped or interrupted or severely reduced thus depriving the cells of the brain with its basic food- oxygen and glucose. Within minutes of a stroke, the brain cells begin to die thus causing brain damage. Immediate treatment is of vital importance in order to minimize the damage and probable complications. This condition is treatable to a great extent if medical attention is received on time.
There are some specific symptoms to watch out, to judge if you, or your near and dear one is having a stroke. The duration for how long the symptoms have been persisting will guide possible treatment options. Having trouble walking or maintaining balance, stumbling, dizziness, or loss of coordination etc symptoms along with trouble while speaking or understanding, words slurring with the tongue feeling thick and not moving smoothly to utter words. Paralysis or numbness of the face, arm or leg, sudden numbness or loss of sensation in the face area, arm or leg especially in one side of the body are cause for alarm. While raising both hands together above the head and one arm falls or if one side of the mouth droops on trying to smile, a stroke would have led to them. Trouble with seeing or blurred vision in one or both eyes or seeing double means one must seek immediate medical help. Another indication is a sudden severe headache, which may come along with vomiting, dizziness or loss of consciousness.
A simple acronym that can be kept in mind to mean a state of emergency for immediate medical help is `FAST`™ whose full form means:
Face: which shows signs of stroke, when the person tries to smile but the part of the mouth of the affected side tends to droop.
Arms: When you try to raise both your arms above your head, does one arm fall backwards?
Speech: Does your speech slur when you attempt to talk? Does the tongue feel thick and not move smoothly?
Time: Do not waste time if you see any of these symptoms in yourself or your near and dear ones. Call for emergency medical help. Time is very crucial in such cases and can decide the fate of recovery. The longer the person takes to reach a doctor, the more the damage progresses as further brain cells will get damaged, and may cause irreversible changes in the body.
A stroke may be caused if some blood vessel which supplies the vital nutrients to the brain is blocked partially or completely by plaques of fat etc which is known as an `ischaemic stroke`™. This is most commonly seen, when the blood vessels become narrow or completely blocked thus severely reducing the blood flow partially or completely. It may be caused due to leaking or bursting of blood vessels, which causes a haemorrhage that may have been caused due to an extremely high and uncontrolled blood pressure. This is known as a `haemorrhagic stroke`™.
There is also another variant called as a `mini stroke`™ in which the same symptoms occur but clear out within in a few minutes. But this should always be brought to the notice of the doctors, as it can lead to a certain amount of brain damage.
Many factors increase a person`™s risk to strokes, including being overweight or obese, leading a sedentary life involving minimal physical activity, excessive alcoholism or binge drinking, usage of illegal or non prescribed medications. High blood pressure is one of the commonest causes of a stroke; the risk factor begins when the blood pressure rises above the normal of 120/80mmHg and it is important to keep a check on blood pressure. Cigarette smoking can also cause the narrowing of blood vessels. High cholesterol level can add to the risk factors as it may cause the formation of plaques. Other heart problems can also lead to the increase in the risk of a stroke.
Risk factors not in the control of a person include- a family history of strokes, heart attacks etc, progressing age above 55 years. Also, men have a higher risk of stroke as compared to women.
A stroke may sometimes lead to complications like partial or complete paralysis, memory loss, thinking difficulties, etc. A stroke can be confirmed by a simple physical examination, blood tests, CT scans, MRIs, etc. Treatment options include emergency care by medications, clot removals or surgery. Again, prevention is better than cure, and even more so in conditions like stroke which are very much preventable. Even if the inevitable does occur, correct knowledge and careful assessment of symptoms and immediate medical care may reduce the progress of damage.