A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain has been halted due to bleeding into the brain or by the formation of a clot. This means that blood flow cannot reach other important areas of the brain, therefore resulting in a stroke. A person experiencing a stroke will begin to exhibit signs. Some signs can be minor and may last for only a few minutes, however if the signs last much longer it is imperative to seek the assistance of a medical professional. The longer the symptoms go on unattended, the more damage they can cause, thus resulting in lifelong disability.
What signs to look for.
- Severe Headache - Dizziness -Blindness - Inability to speak or understand speech - Numbness or weakness on one side of the body - Tingling in the face, arms or legs
If you or anyone around you is having these symptoms, call 911 and get emergency medical help right away.
Risks for Stroke:
- Age: At age 55 the risk of stroke doubles every ten years after - Race - Gender: Typically, women are less likely to experience a stroke than men - Previous stroke - Fractures resulting in a fat embolism - Family History - Atrial Fibrillation
How to reduce your risk:
Manage blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Decrease cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Eat a healthy diet. Exercise. Quit Smoking. Take medications as prescribed by your physician.
Physicians use a CT, MRI or Angiogram to determine the location of a stroke, the amount of damage it caused as well as what type of stroke was experienced.
Medications such as clot busters or tPA must be given to the patient within hours of experiencing a stroke. For more severe types of stroke such as ischemic and hemorrhagic, surgical intervention is required.
After Stroke care:
Patients who have survived a stroke may require rehabilitation utilizing speech, occupational, and physical therapies. Recovery can take a few days to a year or more to regain lost functions.
Medications:
Antiplatelet - Prevents the formation of clots by not allowing platelets to adhere together - Thrombolytics -This is a clot bluster that loosens or breaks a clot apart which is then carried away by phagocytic cells - Anticoagulants - These prevent the formation of clots especially in those patients with A-fib as they are extremely prone to clots due solely because of the continuous contractions of the atria in the heart.
If you have other chronic diseases present such as diabetes or hypertension, keeping these values in the normal range will help to prevent, or lessen the likelihood of a stroke event.
Implementing regular exercise three days a week will assist in managing or preventing high blood pressure which is the number one cause of stroke and hemorrhagic strokes.
Healthy eating consisting of a diet containing whole grains and nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and foods low in fat and high in fiber help to lower your risks that cause strokes.
What signs to look for.
- Severe Headache - Dizziness -Blindness - Inability to speak or understand speech - Numbness or weakness on one side of the body - Tingling in the face, arms or legs
If you or anyone around you is having these symptoms, call 911 and get emergency medical help right away.
Risks for Stroke:
- Age: At age 55 the risk of stroke doubles every ten years after - Race - Gender: Typically, women are less likely to experience a stroke than men - Previous stroke - Fractures resulting in a fat embolism - Family History - Atrial Fibrillation
How to reduce your risk:
Manage blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Decrease cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Eat a healthy diet. Exercise. Quit Smoking. Take medications as prescribed by your physician.
Physicians use a CT, MRI or Angiogram to determine the location of a stroke, the amount of damage it caused as well as what type of stroke was experienced.
Medications such as clot busters or tPA must be given to the patient within hours of experiencing a stroke. For more severe types of stroke such as ischemic and hemorrhagic, surgical intervention is required.
After Stroke care:
Patients who have survived a stroke may require rehabilitation utilizing speech, occupational, and physical therapies. Recovery can take a few days to a year or more to regain lost functions.
Medications:
Antiplatelet - Prevents the formation of clots by not allowing platelets to adhere together - Thrombolytics -This is a clot bluster that loosens or breaks a clot apart which is then carried away by phagocytic cells - Anticoagulants - These prevent the formation of clots especially in those patients with A-fib as they are extremely prone to clots due solely because of the continuous contractions of the atria in the heart.
If you have other chronic diseases present such as diabetes or hypertension, keeping these values in the normal range will help to prevent, or lessen the likelihood of a stroke event.
Implementing regular exercise three days a week will assist in managing or preventing high blood pressure which is the number one cause of stroke and hemorrhagic strokes.
Healthy eating consisting of a diet containing whole grains and nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and foods low in fat and high in fiber help to lower your risks that cause strokes.
About the Author:
Barb Hicks is a licensed registered nurse and featured health writer on Clivir.com. You can find here her lessons on Common Cause of Stroke and other information about Stroke Early Symptoms.
No comments:
Post a Comment