Stroke: Symptoms and Signs. Video

A stroke is a sudden violation of the cerebral circulation. Depending on the nature of the pathology, ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes are distinguished. In ischemic, blockage of one or more vessels occurs, and in hemorrhagic, a rupture of the vessel.

During an ischemic stroke, a blood clot (clot) forms in the blood vessels, blocking blood flow to one part of the brain. Such a clot that comes from other vessels is called an embolism. A stroke caused by a cardiogenic embolism, an embolism from the aorta, arteries, or veins, is called embolic.

The most susceptible to this disease are people with arrhythmias, as well as those who have undergone heart surgery.

If a blood clot forms at the site of an atherosclerotic plaque in an intra- or extracranial artery, the stroke is considered thrombotic – with this disease, the symptoms increase gradually, often occurring at night. Thrombosis is most common in the elderly, smokers or drug abusers. In addition, overweight people and women who use oral contraceptives for protection are at risk.

Hemorrhagic stroke is the most dangerous, as it occurs suddenly, often against the background of stress and nervous experiences. Through the ruptured wall of one of the vessels, blood enters the brain tissue, the so-called hemorrhage occurs. Hemorrhagic stroke is most often caused by aneurysms – congenital weak walls of the arteries.

No one is immune from a stroke; it can develop even in young and outwardly healthy people.

Through a comprehensive study, the main factors that increase the risk of stroke have been identified:

• high pressure
• diseases of the cardiovascular system
• atherosclerosis
• diabetes mellitus and lipid metabolism disorders
• cholesterol plaques
• smoking
• alcohol
• overweight
• taking oral contraceptives
• age (ischemic stroke most often affects people aged 40-60)
• genetic predisposition (eg, congenital weak arterial walls)

Coping with the consequences of a stroke is incredibly difficult, especially if it has already led to disability. If it is impossible to get rid of some risk factors, such as heredity and age, then the lifestyle is quite amenable to adjustment. At the first signs of the disease, it is necessary to urgently take measures and use every chance in order to avoid or postpone the attack as much as possible.

Paying attention to a person’s condition in time, you can manage to save his life. In some cases, the count goes not even for hours, but for minutes.

The main signs of a stroke:

First aid for stroke: lay the patient on his side and call an ambulance

• unexpected weakness, numbness, paralysis of the arm, leg, face, on the left or right side
• speech impairment, slurred pronunciation
• sudden dizziness, gait disturbance, loss of coordination and balance
• acute headache for no apparent reason
• sharp deterioration in vision

One of the main causes of stroke and cerebral hemorrhage is high blood pressure. Persons suffering from it should always have a tonometer at hand to always know the readings and normalize if necessary. Unstable pressure requires constant monitoring, medical supervision and adequate treatment.

It is equally important to know the state of your heart. Diseases such as atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, malformation, or heart failure can lead to stroke. In addition, it is important to timely treat diseases of the veins, arteries, blood vessels, to monitor the prevention of blood clots.

You can keep your body under control only with the help of periodic medical examinations.

First of all, it is imperative to quit smoking – it contributes to the appearance and development of atherosclerosis, as a result, blood clots are formed, many times higher than the likelihood of a stroke. Alcohol abusers are also at risk. Moreover, 100–150 g of beer or red wine every few days, on the contrary, can reduce the risk of cerebral hemorrhage (unless, of course, there are other contraindications).

Eating a healthy diet is good for your overall health and helps prevent stroke. Less salt, fat, sweets, more fruits, vegetables, dried fruits – this is the main diet of people with an increased risk of stroke.

Avoid fried and smoked foods in favor of boiled and steamed

You should control your weight. It does not directly affect the development of stroke, but it contributes to the appearance of heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and increased blood pressure.

Daily exercise, walking in the fresh air, jogging in the morning, swimming – all this will help strengthen blood vessels and avoid many problems. It is necessary to lead an active lifestyle and, if possible, avoid stress, depression, overwork.

Rehabilitation requires maintaining complete peace, without emotional stress and physical exertion. In addition to the medicines prescribed by the doctor, breathing exercises, therapeutic exercises are necessary. If the limbs do not move, passive exercises are needed – flexion, extension, massage.

Both physical and mental rehabilitation will be more effective with the support of relatives. Conversations, listening to music, walking on the street, watching TV – such loads will bring real benefits to the restoration of hearing and speech activity.