Stroke

Stroke or Cerebrovascular accident is a sudden and severe attack in which a rupture or blockage occurs in a cerebral blood vessel, which cuts off blood flow in the brain to the area fed by the blood vessel in which the blockage or rupture occurred, leading to loss of consciousness or paralysis. Or a defect in the function of the part of the brain that has suffered from ischemia. Stroke is one of the most important causes of death around the world, and it is a medical emergency, and the patient must receive urgent medical attention.The stroke results in the rapid onset of neurological symptoms within seconds to minutes of the stroke, and it is the largest and most prevalent neurological disease in our time. The part that suffers from ischemia suffers from inability and fails to perform its functions properly; Because the oxygen and nutrients carried by the blood have been cut off, which leads to the possibility of brain cell death. The severity of symptoms and deficiency varies according to the severity of the clot, the degree of blockage, or the amount of bleeding.


There are various causes that lead to a stroke, including:

• Occlusion of small cerebral vessels.
• A blood clot coming from the carotid artery.
• Cerebral hemorrhage as a result of high pressure, head injury, a ruptured aneurysm, or due to taking anticoagulant drugs.

There are several factors that pose a risk to the possibility of a stroke, including:

• Factors that can be improved with treatment and lifestyle improvement to a healthier lifestyle, including:
  - High blood pressure.
  - Smoking.
  - Heart disease.
  - High level of cholesterol in the body.
  - Drinking alcohol.
  - Peripheral vascular disease.
  - obesity.
  - Lack of exercise and lack of movement.
  - Drug addiction.
• Factors that increase the risk of infection and cannot be improved, including:
  - Previous transient stroke.
  - A family member had a previous stroke.
  - advancing age; Almost 55 and over.
  - Sweat; Americans and Africans are more likely to have strokes.

Since the causes that lead to a stroke are different, there are different types of stroke, which are:

• Transient ischemic attack: the appearance of symptoms of a stroke for a temporary period as a result of a lack of blood supply to a part of the brain; Because of the blockage of blood vessels mediated by a thrombus, and this condition usually lasts for no more than five minutes, and the emergency must be reviewed even if the symptoms disappear, because this means the possibility of a stroke in the future.
• Ischemic Stroke: About 85% of strokes are strokes caused by a lack of brain ischemia. This clot occurs when the arteries of the brain are blocked or narrowed, which leads to ischemia in the part supplied by these arteries.
• Hemorrhagic Stroke: This clot occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, and blood bleeds from the blood vessel into the cerebral substance, and this condition occurs as a result of any cause that affects the blood vessels, including: Uncontrolled high blood pressure Excessive use of anticoagulants, or as a result of a cerebral aneurysm.

Stroke symptoms appear suddenly; It often develops within hours, and rarely continues to develop for days. The apparent symptoms depend on the part of the brain affected and its function. The symptoms that appear on the person are very important; Because when you pay attention to it, it can be the reason for saving this person by taking him to the ambulance. Among these symptoms:

• problems with speech, comprehension and comprehension; As if the speech becomes heavy and the person does not understand the spoken words.
• Paralysis or numbness and numbness of the limbs, usually on one side, and drooping of the mouth when trying to smile.
• trouble seeing; For example, the patient suffers from a clouding of vision or blurring, or the visual image is doubled in one or both eyes.
• walking problems; Due to the occurrence of dizziness and a feeling of unsteadiness.
• The patient may feel a severe headache.

If the person is in a place where another person has experienced similar symptoms to those mentioned; He can check with these steps if the person has a stroke or not, and he must do them quickly:

• Face: Asking the sick person to smile, as one of the symptoms of a stroke is a drooping of the patient's mouth on one side when smiling.
• Arms: Asking the patient to raise both arms, and noticing the fall of one of them or the inability of the person to raise one of the arms.
• Speaking: Asking the patient to repeat a certain sentence and noticing strange or slow speech or that his words are not understood.
• Time: Time is a very important factor in the case of a stroke; If a person close to the patient or himself notices the symptoms of a stroke; An ambulance should be called and emergency access as soon as possible.

The period during which the brain remains without oxygen and food greatly affects the results and complications after saving the patient's life, and complications also occur in the function of the area affected by ischemia, and the complications that can occur are the following:

• Paralysis in one part of the body or loss of ability to control a group of muscles in the body, for example, loss of ability to control part of the face or arm muscles. Physiotherapy can help the patient to overcome this problem to carry out vital activities of life such as walking and eating.
• Difficulty speaking, swallowing or understanding, speech and language therapists can be used to help in this case.
• Emotional problems. A person who has had a stroke can be psychologically affected by this event and can become depressed as well.
• Stroke recurrence.

Stroke treatment depends on the type of stroke. Is it an obstructive clot, the most common, or a hemorrhagic clot? In both cases, emergency treatments are provided; Because stroke of all kinds is an emergency situation that requires urgent treatment.


The doctor begins by giving clot-dissolving drugs such as Warfarin (in the first three hours of its occurrence if given intravenously, and the earlier the timing, the better the results in saving the patient, reducing complications that may face, and giving aspirin in emergency quickly to reduce the possibility of occurrence Another clot, because it prevents clots from forming, and some patients respond to intravenous injection of tissue plasminogen activator, and these injections work to dissolve the clot, and the doctor can remove the clot manually, and there are other ways.


As for the treatment of hemorrhagic strokes; It depends on reducing bleeding and reducing the pressure caused by bleeding on the brain by giving drugs to reduce brain pressure and blood pressure; To prevent vascular spasms or constrictions in the brain. When the bleeding stops, supportive medical care is provided until the body absorbs the blood, heals and the blood is absorbed, and blood is absorbed in the case of bruises in the body. If the bleeding is severe and the bleeding area is large, the doctor may have to use surgical treatment methods to remove the blood and relieve pressure on the brain.


Preventing strokes is important for all people, but more for people who have had a previous transient stroke, or even an obstructive or hemorrhagic stroke, people with various heart diseases, significantly high blood pressure, a high level of body fat or obese people. There are several things that a person must do to prevent a stroke, including:

• Control of high blood pressure.
• Control of high cholesterol in the blood.
• Stop drinking tobacco and its derivatives, and alcoholic beverages.
• Exercising regularly and increasing the physical activity of the body.
• Eat healthy.

A doctor can prescribe blood thinners for a person who may have a stroke, or who has had a previous stroke, although the occurrence of a stroke cannot be predicted, but lifestyle changes are very important to avoid strokes.