A brain stroke, also known as a brain attack, occurs when the supply of blood to the brain is reduced or stopped. This condition is similar to a heart attack. What happens here? Due to blockage inside vessel there will be stoppage of blood and oxygen reaching the brain.
The most common symptoms of brain stroke are facial weakness, arm and leg weakness, speech dysfunction, blurring of vision, and imbalance while walking. What risk factors are make brain predisposes to stroke? hypertension, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, obesity, ischemic heart disease, and a sedentary lifestyle.
Brain too has GOLDEN HOUR like heart!?
Brain stroke is like a heart attack. What one will do if suddenly develops chest pain ? People will reach the hospital as early as possible , get ECG and ECHO and will take opinion of cardiologist. Am I saying correct? Dear people – Brain attack is similar to heart attack. If warning signs are recognised soon and person reach the hospital in GOLDEN HOUR complications that arise from brain stroke can be prevented or minimise the disability that can arise from stroke.
Dear all Let us know -How brain stroke happens?
Let us imagine heart -The heart pumps blood into the brain through blood vessels or channels called carotid arteries, which include right and left carotids. If there is a lack of supply or blockage to one side of the brain, it causes brain stroke. During a brain stroke, 1.9 million neurons die every minute due to lack of blood supply and if not treated immediately. What that means – that means the important centres of brain can get damaged parmanently.
Based on damage happens to brain -What all of us should know is Brain stroke is classified into mini-stroke and major stroke. This Mini stroke is also known as TIA-Transient ischemic attack- we will see usually improve within 24 hours. On contrast what happens in major stroke is – A person affected with a major stroke will take time to get better and the weakness or neurological deficits persists for a longer duration. Which results what happens? person may become permanently disabled.
What is this golden hour?
When brain stroke happens – we should take the patient to the stroke care hospital or seek immediate medication, within the golden period. 3.5 hours to 7.2 hours after the person has suffered a brain stroke is golden hour. The clot-bursting medication and mechanical thrombectomy if happens within this period blood circulation re-establishes. Why is is called golden hour?
After blood circulation re establishes – brain previously affected get blood circulation and nutrition and no of neuronal death will reduce. This is possible by stent retrievers, it is a basket like device. Procedure is called Mechnical Thrombectomy.
Mechanical thrombectomy is a new modality of interventional stroke treatment, where mechanical force is applied to remove the clot by aspiration or by approaching through a basket-like device (stent retriever).
Treatment
In recent years, comprehensive stroke treatment units are helping people who are affected by stroke and maximum recovery is recorded. A comprehensive stroke unit or team consists of an emergency physician, a neurosurgeon, a neurologist, a neuroendovascular surgeon / interventional neuroradiologist, a neuro intensivist, a neuroradiologist, a neuro anesthetist and a physiotherapist.
Before Advanced Stroke treatment in Bangalore or endovascular stroke treatment came into the picture, what we were doing ? the conservative treatment was only the option. It used showed many cases where the patients were suffered or lost their lives. The tendency to develop permanent weakness in the hands and legs, speech dysfunction, persistent vegetative state, high morbidities like the high probability of self-dependency on wheelchair or stretcher, dependence on family for a prolonged time, development of bedsore and sepsis, and death were more common in the conservative brain stroke treatment methods. If any patient comes after the golden hour period, the right treatment cannot be started.
On seeing symptoms like facial weakness, arm or leg weakness, speech dysfunction to name a few, the patient should be rushed to the hospital immediately without any delay, since every second count.
Hence remember and create the stroke awareness
FAST
FACIAL WEAKNESS
ARM WEAKNESS
SPEECH DYSFUNCTION
TIME TO REACH STROKE CARE CENTRE.
RISK FACTORS OF STROKE