Stroke Prevention
Stroke is a sudden and devastating illness that occurs when the blood vessel to the brain burst or when blood circulation to the brain falls when a blockage develops. The brain cells quickly die from decrease in blood flow and this can result into serious disability or death. Although stroke is a disease of the brain it can affect the entire body. Stroke is easy to spot and is irreversible, they are sometimes called brain attack and anyone can have stroke including babies and children. Stroke falls into two categories: controllable and uncontrollable risk factors. Uncontrollable risk factors are beyond your control – such as being over 55, being male or female, ethnic group and having a family history of stroke.
Stroke is the 3rd largest cause of death ranking behind the diseases of the heart and all forms of cancer; it is a leading cause of serious long term disability. According to world health organization (W.H.O), 15 million people suffered stroke worldwide every year and of these 5million die and another 5 million are permanently disabled and high blood pressure contributes to over 12.7 million people that have stroke worldwide. Recent statistics have revealed that the incident of stroke is declining fast in the developing countries due to efforts to lower blood pressure and reduce smoking.
We have two main types of Stroke and they are not treated the same way (1) Ischemic and (2) Hemorrhage
Ischemic stroke – is the most common type of stroke and nearly 9 out of 10 strokes fall into this category. The culprit is a blood clot that obstructs a blood vessel inside the brain. This clot may develop on the spot or travel through the blood from elsewhere in the body.
Hemorrhage stroke – is less common but far more likely to be fatal. It occurs when a weaken blood vessel in the brain bursts and results into bleeding inside the brain that can be difficult to stop. It is medically believed that people who suffer ischemic stroke have a better chance of survivor than those who have hemorrhage stroke.
Common Causes of Stroke
Stroke causes a greater range of disability than any other chronic disease and is often associated with atherosclerosis hardening of the arteries. Plague made of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances build up in the arteries leaving less space can cause an ischemic stroke. Atherosclerosis can also make it easy for a clot to form. While hemorrhagic stroke often result from uncontrolled high blood pressure that causes a weakened artery to burst.
Stroke Signs and Symptoms
Signs of stroke may include the following:
1, sudden numbness or weakness in the face or parts of the body especially on one side.
2, sudden vision changes either in one or both eyes
3, sudden confusion and difficulty in speaking or understanding others
4, sudden and severe headache, dizziness and loss of balance
Stroke test: Talk, Walk, Smile
The F.A.S.T test helps to spot stroke symptoms quickly.
It stands for:
Face: You ask for a smile and check if any side drops
Arms: When raised does one side drift down
Speech: Can the person repeat a simple smile, does he or she have difficulty in sentences
Time: Time is critical, call for help
We should know that when it comes to treatment of stroke every second counts and when the patient is deprived of oxygen, the brain cells start dying and once brain tissue has died the body parts controlled by that area will no longer work properly.
Stroke prevention and risk factors include the following:
Avoid smoking and heavy consumption of alcohol, eating a balance diet and having a regular exercise to reduce high blood pressure.
For people with high risk of stroke, your doctor can recommend medications to lower the risks. Anti-platelet medicines including aspirin, keep platelet in the blood from sticking together and forming clots.
Surgery to reduce the risk
Balloon and stent
Finally, the good news is that by controlling these risk factors, stroke can be prevented and in the light of this disease burden, prevention of initial and recurrent stroke is a major priority for health care providers. Recent guidelines for primary and secondary stroke prevention suggest focusing on the reduction and control of cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity and tobacco usage.