A Brain Stroke can occur due to the reduced or interrupted blood supply to the brain. This reduced or interrupted blood supply deprives brain tissue of nutrients and oxygen. Due to this, brain cells start to die within minutes. It is a medical emergency that requires prompt treatment otherwise it can lead to serious complications. It is important to admit the patient on time to minimize damage to the brain and complications that can occur. Early diagnosis and treatment of strokes are required to reduce the damage to the brain. You can get treatment for strokes and it is possible to prevent strokes. The treatment that is provided by the doctor depends on the form of stroke. You should maintain a healthy lifestyle to get prevention from a Brain Stroke.
Symptoms of Brain Stroke:
Generally, a stroke occurs without any warning. Check out some of the possible symptoms or signs of a Brain Stroke:
- People may face a problem in walking such as dizziness and coordination problems.
- People may experience confusion such as trouble with understanding and speaking.
- People may develop vision problems in an eye or both.
- A headache is also a symptom of a Brain Stroke generally accompanied by vomiting or altered consciousness.
- People may experience inability or numbness to move parts of the leg, arm, or face. This problem generally occurs on one side of the body.
Causes of Brain Stroke:
There are different reasons for different forms of Brain Stroke. You are more prone to a stroke if:
- Your age is 55 years or more.
- You have a history of Brain Strokes in your family.
- Your weight is more than required depending on your age and height.
- You consume too much alcohol.
- You smoke a lot.
- You take illicit drugs.
- You follow a lifestyle which is not active.
Check out the possible causes of various types of Brain Stroke:
- Ischemic stroke: Ischemic stroke occur when there is a blockage in the arteries or arteries narrow down. The arteries are responsible for providing blood to the brain. When a problem occurs in the arteries then it can lead to ischemia. In ischemia, the blood supply reduces excessively leading to damaged brain cells. Due to blood clots, there can be blockages in the arteries.
- Transient ischemic attack (TIA): Transient ischemic attacks are similar to the condition of ischemic strokes as they also occur due to blood clots. You should treat this condition as an emergency even if your symptoms are temporary. There is a high probability that you may experience a major Brain Stroke in the future if you do not receive proper treatment.
- Hemorrhagic stroke: This type of stroke occurs when the blood leaks from the arteries in the brain or the arteries burst. Due to the leakage, the pressure can develop on brain cells leading to damaged brain cells. The ruptures can occur due to trauma, aneurysms, blood-thinning medicines, and hypertension.
How Brain Stroke is diagnosed?
A person should be immediately taken to the hospital when a stroke occurs. It is important to know the type of stroke and the portions of the brain affected due to Brain Stroke to find out the best treatment option. Your doctor also looks for various possible causes of the symptoms that you are experiencing including a drug reaction or a brain tumor. Your doctor may ask you to get various tests done in order to find the risk of stroke:
- Physical examination: Your doctor will conduct a physical examination and ask about your medical history and symptoms. Your blood pressure can be checked, carotid arteries in your neck can be heard, and the blood vessels at the back of your eyes can be examined by your doctor to check the signs for clotting.
- CT scan: Your doctor may conduct various X-rays to check for strokes, hemorrhages, tumors, and other problems within your brain.
- Blood tests: Your doctor may ask you to get some blood tests done to check how quickly the blood clots form, particular substances levels in the blood, and presence of infection.
- MRI scan: Your doctor may ask you to get an MRI scan done in which magnet and radio waves help to create an image of your brain to find out damaged brain tissue.
- Echocardiogram: Echocardiogram is done to create an image of your heart to check if a blood clot has traveled to the brain from the heart leading to a Brain Stroke.
- Cerebral angiogram: In this, dyes injections are given into the blood vessels of the brain so that they can be visible in the X-ray. This helps to see the detailed image of the neck’s blood vessels and the brain.
- Carotid ultrasound: It is done to determine the presence of plaque and to check the flow of the blood in the carotid arteries.
Prevention of Brain Stroke:
Lifestyle changes help to prevent a stroke. Check out various that help to get prevention from a Brain Stroke:
- You should eat a healthy diet.
- You should avoid smoking.
- You should maintain a healthy weight.
- You should do physical exercises regularly.
- You should avoid or reduce the consumption of alcohol.
- You should have a nutritious diet which includes a lot of vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains which are healthy, legumes, and seeds.
- You should reduce the intake of salt.
- You should keep your blood pressure under control.
- You should manage your diabetes.
- You should get proper treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.
Treatment of Brain Stroke:
Different treatment options are available for different forms of Brain Stroke including hemorrhagic strokes and ischemic strokes. That is why it is important that the doctor finds out the type of stroke quickly so that the treatment can be provided on time without any delay. A treatment option that is suitable for a particular type of stroke may prove to be harmful to other types of stroke.
- Ischemic stroke: The main purpose of treatment in case of ischemic stroke is to restore an adequate blood flow to the brain. Drugs are given to break down the blood clots and prevent clots from forming. An aspirin can be helpful. An injection of TPA or tissue plasminogen activator can also be given. An injection of TPA is effective if given with 4.5 hours of onset of stroke symptoms.
- Hemorrhagic stroke: The main purpose of hemorrhagic strokes treatment is to control the bleeding and minimise the pressure on the brain. The doctor may recommend some drugs in the starting to control blood pressure, reduce the pressure on the brain, prevent blood vessels constrictions occurring suddenly, and prevent seizures. A surgery can be recommended to resolve the problem associated with blood vessels that could cause hemorrhagic strokes or have cause hemorrhagic strokes.
- Rehabilitation: Strokes affect a person on the emotional level as well as physical level. There are some therapies that are required for a successful recovery from a stroke. Physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy are some of the therapies used after a stroke for complete and successful recovery. Support also plays a very important role. Support groups and support from family and friends are of great help.
Know the Complications of Brain Stroke:
Check out some of the complications associated with a stroke:
- Brain edema: It is also known as brain swelling. Sometimes you may experience brain swelling after a Brain Stroke.
- Seizures: Sometimes a Brain Stroke can lead to seizures. Due to seizures, there is a sudden electrical disturbance in the brain that is not controllable. It generally occurs in case of larger strokes.
- Life-threatening: It can be life-threatening if not treated properly on time or left untreated.
- Other complications: Malnutrition, bedsores, pneumonia, blood clots, and urinary tract infections (if a catheter is needed) are some of the other complications associated with a Brain Stroke.
Myths related to Brain Stroke:
Check out some of the common myths about a Brain Stroke:
Myth #1: Only older people suffer from Brain Stroke.
Fact: This problem can occur to any person irrespective of age. Infants can also experience a stroke. It has been noticed that generally young people are more prone to ignore the signs of stroke as they think that a stroke cannot happen at this age.
Myth #2: Women are protected from strokes.
Fact: It is a misconception that women are protected from strokes. In fact, women are more prone to suffer from Brain Stroke more frequently than men.
Myth #3: Aspirin can be used at home to treat a Brain Stroke.
Fact: An aspirin can be helpful in the case of a heart attack but this is not the case with a stroke. Aspirin can make your condition worse if you have a bleeding Brain Stroke.
Myth #4: It is not possible to prevent a stroke.
Fact: There are many ways that can help a person prevent a Brain Stroke. The best way is to make changes in the lifestyle. A person should not smoke, drink, and consume excessive salt in order to prevent a stroke. A person should maintain a healthy weight and do physical exercises daily.
Brain Stroke Conclusion:
A person may suffer from a Brain Stroke due to the reduced or interrupted blood supply to the brain. The person should be immediately admitted to the hospital in case of a stroke. It is a medical emergency that requires prompt treatment. It can be life-threatening if not treated properly on time or left untreated. The doctor provides the treatment on the basis of your type of stroke. That is why doctors firstly find the type of stroke in order to provide suitable treatment.
You are more prone to strokes if you drink too much alcohol, smoke a lot, are 55 years old or more, use illicit drugs, have a family history of strokes, and more. There are different causes for different types of stroke. Physical examination, CT scan, blood tests, MRI scan, cerebral angiogram, echocardiogram, and carotid ultrasound are some of the diagnostic tests required to find the type of stroke. Many treatment options are available for patients with strokes problem. The treatment option which is suitable for a particular type of stroke can be harmful to other types of strokes. That is why doctors perform proper diagnosis before providing a treatment option to the patient. The best treatment is provided according to your condition.
There are many myths about a brain stroke. It is not possible to prevent a stroke is one of the common myths. Another common myth is an aspirin can be used at home to treat a Brain Stroke. Many complications are associated with a stroke. A stroke can lead to brain edema or brain swelling. Malnutrition, bedsores, pneumonia, seizures, blood clots, and urinary tract infections are some of the other complications that can arise after a stroke.
If you are looking for the answers to various questions including:
- What is a Brain Stroke?
- What are the signs or symptoms of a Brain Stroke?
- What are the causes of a Brain Stroke?
- How is a Brain Stroke diagnosed?
- How is a Brain Stroke prevented?
- How is a Brain Stroke treated?
- What are the various complications associated with a Brain Stroke?
- What are the various myths or misconceptions about a Brain Stroke?
Then you are at the right place. Please refer to the above-mentioned information in order to get answers to all of your questions.
