What Are The Symptoms Causes & Treatment Of Stroke?

When there is rapid loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain it is called stroke or cerebrovascular accident. This may be due to ischemia i.e. lack of blood flow due to blockage. The lack of blood loss due to blockage results in affected part of the brain stops functioning which might further result inability to move one or more limbs on one side of the body, inability to understand or speak and inability one side of the visual field. It is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Stroke is the medical emergency can lead to permanent neurological disorder complication and death. Stroke is brain attack akin to heart attack, occurs in brain. Immediate treatment can make a big difference in the outcome for someone having stroke.

If the blood supplies to the brain pause for the longer period of time, the brain cell without enough supply will die. A person having stroke can show many signs or symptoms ranging from unseen difficulty of moving and speaking to paralysis or death. Earlier doctors were unable to treat the patient during the stroke or immediately after the stroke which as a result use to increase the complications. However, now a day’s immediate treatment is available and enables the treatment of acute event immediately or when it is happening, as recognizing stroke and getting immediate is critically important.

Symptoms depend on the area of brain affected. Stroke symptoms are seen suddenly, within seconds to minute, and most of the time does not progress further. The extensive the area affected, the more functions are likely to be failed. Symptoms depend upon the condition, whether it is caused by blood clot or bleeding and how bad it is. In general, symptoms of stroke include;

1. Sudden numbness, tingling, weakness, loss of face movement, arms, legs, hands especially on one side of the body.

2. Sudden vision changes

3. Sudden trouble speaking

4. Sudden confusion or trouble understanding simple words

5. Sudden problem in walking

6. Severe headache that is different from past few headache

Sometimes people do not recognize the symptoms of small stroke and ignore them. They may think it symptoms can attributed to aging or symptoms may be confused to other conditions that have similar symptoms. Stroke is an emergency call, seek for immediate treatment do no wait or hesitate to call a doctor. Immediate treatment can save the life of the patient and can reduce the chances of complications. It is crucial for the stroke patient to get a hospital as soon as possible. Ignorance can be the cause of death. If the stroke is due to a blood clot, clot busting drug is given to dissolve the clot. Patient much reach to the hospital within the three hours after the stroke. Sometimes patient receive their drug 4-5 hours after the stroke. Treatment lies on the cause of the stroke and how severe it was. Patients need to get admitted in the hospital for the apt medical care and attention. Treatment in the hospital includes;

1. Clot busting medicine if the stroke is due to blood clot. Clot busting medicine dissolves the blood clot and helps the blood to flow in the damaged part. A CT scan is done to know if there is any blood clot. However, this kind of treatment is not given to every patient.

1. If bleeding is the cause of stroke rather than clotting than clot- busting medicine can cause more bleeding.

2. Ideally, people who have a stoke are admitted to ‘stroke unit’. A ward or an area staffed by the dedicated and experience doctors and nurses for the intense care of the patient.

3. Along with all the medical treatment prescribed by the doctor, balanced nutrition and diet should be given to the patient.

4. Fluid must be given, especially if the person has trouble swallowing. These may be given through veins or stomach. Swallowing is not a permanent problem.

5. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy all begin in the hospital.

If the treatment with clot-busting drugs is successful, the symptoms of blood clots will go away. People who have a stroke due to blood clot have a better chance of survival than that of the bleeding in the brain, as the bleeding may be extensive. The risk of the second stroke is higher during the weeks or months after the stroke. Gradually, the risk start decreasing.