WHAT IS STROKE?

A stroke occurs when blood and oxygen to the brain are cut off resulting in death of nerve cells in the brain, as early as within three or four minutes. This can lead to severe physical, cognitive, or mental disabilities and even death. A stroke patient may experience sudden and  severe headache, numbness or weakness on one side, trouble speaking, walking, or understanding, trouble seeing, or other symptoms. Stroke is a medical emergency and needs to be treated immediately, even if symptoms seem to go away. Every Second Counts! 

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF STROKE? 

The occurence of Stroke is accompanied by one or more of the following symptoms: 

• Sudden numbness, tingling or weakness on one side of body

• Slurred speech, difficulty in swallowing, choking on food

• Lightheadedness, loss of consciousness, even coma

• Incoherence, difficulty talking, difficulty in finding words

• Blurred vision, double vision, fading of colors, loss of side vision

• Drooping eyelid, Blindness, enlarged (dilated) pupils, unequal pupils

• Confusion, drooling, worst headache, weakness 

• Nausea or vomiting

• Drooping of one side of face, Eyes do not track together, 

• Memory problems,

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Diagnosis: If a person has had a stroke, the doctor will review the symptoms, medical history, conduct a physical examination, and may ask for further investigations including: X-rays, lab tests, a CT scan, an MRI, or an ECG.

Treatment: Depending on the type of stroke ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, medication, surgery, and rehabilitation are used to treat strokes. The treatment may include: 

1. IV fluids and oxygen

2.  IV clot-busting medication, within three hours of the start of symptoms 

3. Blood thinners 

4. Blood clot removal via catheter 

5. Carotid endarterectomy, opening some arteries to remove plaque 

6. Angioplasty, widening an artery with a balloon and inserting a stent to keep it from narrowing 

7. Medication to prevent seizures or lower blood pressure 

8. Surgery to place a clip at the base of an aneurism or remove an abnormal blood vessel 

9. Endovascular procedure that uses a catheter to put a coil in an aneurysm to prevent rupture 

10. Rehabilitation therapy with a team of specialists

It can take months or years to recover from a stroke and some people never recover. The sooner the patient gets treatment, the better are chances are of survival and recovery.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

1. Recognizing Stroke: FAST. Use FAST to remember the warning signs of a stroke. Note the time of the first symptoms, it may affect the course of treatment. 

1. F - FACE: Ask the person to smile. Does the face droop on one side?

2. A - ARMS: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one drift down?

3. S - SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Does the speech sound slurred or strange? 

4. T - TIME: Time is of essence. Rush the person to the nearest EMERGENCY

2. Stroke is always a medical emergency, in case of any symptoms immediately seek Emergency Medical Care without wasting any time. 

3. Some steps to prevent stroke are as follows: 

1. Monitoring Blood Pressure

2. Treating high cholesterol

3. Controlling diabetes

4. Regular exercise and healthy diet

5. Stop smoking, drink in moderation

6. Losing weight, if obese