Strokes or cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) are the leading cause of death in Spain, the third in the United States, and with a significant impact in most Western countries, becoming a real risk if it is not treated immediately. It is estimated that 1 in 4 cases of Stroke is fatal, and even without killing, it can have profound side effects.
To avoid these effects, it is essential to identify and treat this situation as soon as possible. For this reason, at FastlyHealwe inform you about Stroke: symptoms, treatment, and sequelae.
Table of Contents
Stroke: definition and symptoms
A stroke, also called a stroke or hemorrhagic cerebrovascular accident, Stroke and cerebral infarction, refers to the outflow of blood from the circulatory system to the brain, generally produced suddenly, and that deserves immediate attention since they are The two most fundamental organs of the human body are at serious risk: the brain and the circulatory system, commanded by the heart.
The heart is involved because most strokes are due to high blood pressure, a situation in which heart failure is often crucially responsible for this event.
The other common cause is aneurysms, which are ‘balloons’ formed in the wall of an artery that, in addition to putting pressure on nearby tissues, are more prone to bursting during a hypertensive peak and thus producing the eventual effusion.
The main symptoms of a stroke are as follows:
- Numbness of the face or one side of the face.
- Sudden numbness in the front or other parts of the body.
- Tingling or paresthesia in extremities and other parts of the body.
- Sudden difficulty controlling facial muscles or making gestures.
- Loss of balance, even the ability to walk.
- Weakness and loss of coordination of limbs or trunk segments.
- Sudden difficulty moving eyes or seeing.
- There is sudden difficulty communicating (dysarthria and aphasia) or understanding what is heard.
- Sudden and severe headache.
- Dizziness
It is important to note that all these symptoms tend to appear unilaterally, that is, on only one side of the face or body, so the eye and vision problem can be felt in only one eye, as well as the sense of hearing, the muscle control, balance, and psychomotor coordination.
The FAST test is known (it means fast in English). This name helps to clarify that a stroke can be diagnosed by classifying its signs by segments: face ( Face ), arms and extremities ( Arms ), and communication ( Speech ). The ‘T’ corresponds to the word Test. People experiencing a hemorrhagic stroke may appear confused or distracted.
Stroke treatment
Through medications, emergency strokes are treated with the following resources:
- Anticoagulants: necessary to eliminate the clots produced in the brain before the bleeding. Some of them are warfarin and heparin. The closer to the event of the Stroke they can be administered, the better, although it must be with the doctor’s prior approval once the diagnosis is confirmed.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs: Much of the damage produced is not by the infiltrated blood itself but by the immune system that is about to inflame the wound site, helping to close it. Due to this fact, corticosteroids that reduce inflammation in the brain are frequently used against hemorrhagic-type strokes.
- Machines to assist breathing: or any other procedure on other vital signs that may be compromised or altered.
- Antiplatelets: Aspirin, Clopidogrel, and Ticlopidene to reduce the rate at which clots form. They can also reduce the risk of other strokes in the future, specifically those of the ischemic type.
Once the Stroke has stabilized, serious preventive attitudes are usually taken against the risk factors that induced the Stroke and could induce it again. Some of these considerations are:
- Stop smoking
- Treat high blood pressure
- Reduce blood cholesterol levels
- Improve diet, eliminating the consumption of trans fats
- Promote constant physical activity, considering the limitations and consequences that the hemorrhagic Stroke may have caused.
Aftermath of Stroke
The severity of the effects that remain from the hemorrhagic Stroke will depend on how quickly it has been treated and the general health of the person, and the risk factors that have facilitated the Stroke and are still present.
The sequelae are often the same signs that arose during the accident, and that cannot be reversed, such as:
- Speech and hearing difficulties
- Difficulty or inability to see or move one or both eyes
- Numbness on one side of the face or body
- Difficulty or inability to walk and coordinate movements, up to possible paralysis (hemiplegia)
- Alterations in tactile sensitivity (paresthesia, hypoesthesia and anesthesia)
- It can generate clinical depression in the patient or other mood disorders.
Do you want to know if strokes are cured? In the following FastlyHealarticle, we will explain it to you.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Stroke: symptoms, treatment, and sequelae , we recommend that you enter our category of Blood, heart and circulation .
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.