Strokes can affect both mental and physical health. It can affect any part of the body, without any previous warning. There is no way of knowing when a stroke occurs the very first time but there are ways in which one can reduce the risk of its occurrence. To know just how serious a stroke can be, its causes and measures to reduce its risk, read on.
Medicine Net describes a stroke as, "The sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood flow or rupture of an artery to the brain." Basically due to clotting or bursting of an artery, the brain cells do not receive enough blood and consequently, are damaged or die.
Different parts of the brain are responsible for controlling different parts and functions of the body; depending on what cells get damaged- a stroke can have an effect on literally any part of the human body. There are different kinds of strokes.
The most common painful indication of a stroke is a headache. If it is accompanied by any of the ahead mentioned symptoms, medical help should be sought as soon as possible. Stroke, if not identified, can be fatal in some cases too.
If there are any of these symptoms then a doctor should be consulted- problem in understanding others, weakness or numbness on one side of the body, drooping on one side of the face, a problem in walking or balancing, troubling in seeing things, dizziness, sharp headache or trouble in swallowing.
Of the previously mentioned symptoms, only headache is painful. People do not even realize when they are having a stroke, therefore a knowledge of its signs are important so that a person in need can be helped.
If a person is alone and is aware of having a stroke they should call an ambulance and not drive themselves. The symptoms can get worse really quickly and the person might end up making the situation worse for himself/herself or even harm others.
The Act FAST campaign started by the National Stroke Association aims at helping people recognize a stroke. If a stroke is left untreated for long, it only causes more damage so to recognize it, the Association has come with an acronym:
Facial drooping
Arm weakness
Speech difficulties
Time to call emergency services
If a person smiles and one side droops, raises both arms and one arm drifts downward, and the speech is strange or slurred- if there is any one or more of these symptoms then no time should be wasted in calling the ambulance.
As pointed out earlier, a stroke can affect any part of the body depending on what part of the brain it effects. Another factor that decides the effect of a stroke is how long it takes to receive the treatment. The more it is delayed the more brain cells are damaged.
According to the study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 20 deaths in the U.S. is caused by strokes. Depending on the part of the brain affected, some people only experience fatigue or dis-coordinated bodily functions as a result of a stroke but some need to start from basic to learn to eat, speak, walk again.
People can experience blurriness in seeing or total blindness as a result of a stroke. In fact 1/3rd people who suffer from a stroke have vision problems. One can also have partial vision loss, dry eyes, impaired eye mobility, and jittery eye movement.
The more uncommon effects that stroke has on vision are that of Agnosia- in this condition, the person having a stroke has problems in recognizing known faces and/or objects and Visual Neglect- in this case, the person is unaware of the things on one side of the body that has been affected by the stroke.
The most common physical symptom of a stroke is difficulty in swallowing- this is called dysphagia. Other effects include pain, fatigue, incontinence, foot drop (inability to lift the front of the foot), seizures, paralysis, poor muscle control, muscle spasms and problems in sleeping. A person might have one or more of these symptoms together.
A stroke can be life-changing occurrence and could entail a person to relearn even the most basic survival activities. It can render a person confused, perplexed and scared. The person may also experience depression, anxiety, loss of identity, a feeling of vulnerability, and frustration. They need to be handled with patience and care. If things are getting too unbearable and overwhelming, a therapist should be consulted.
A stroke can belong to either of these three categories:
A ministroke is like other strokes but it passes more quickly and is harder to notice. It usually lasts for a few minutes or a few hours. The symptoms pass so quickly that they are barely noticeable. A person might have difficulty with movement and speech but it might return in a few minutes. Ministrokes should be taken seriously as they are a forewarning that a stroke might occur.
Urban lifestyle is really stressful and stress increases the chances of a stroke. Other factors that can lead to a stroke are:
Age- Arteries become narrower with age, and so are more prone to being blocked
Sex- Young men more than young women are more prone to dying of a stroke but older women after menopause are more like to die of stroke than men.
Genetics- If a close relative has ever had a stroke, a person is likely to have one too.
Personal History- If a person has experienced a stroke, they are likely to have another.
Apart from stress and other factors mentioned before, the conditions mentioned ahead also makes a person more susceptible to strokes- high cholesterol, high blood pressure, depression, sickle cell disease vasculitis, which involves inflammation of the blood vessels, and diabetes.
If by your family or personal history you know that you are vulnerable to having strokes then avoiding these can reduce your chances of having one- smoking, alcohol consumption, stress, obesity, low levels of exercise, birth control pills.
Recovery time in a case of stroke varies from person to person as every stroke has varied effects. Stroke teams in hospitals help the person in regaining whatever bodily functions of theirs have been affected and occupational therapy is beneficial too.
Strokes can prove to be a serious threat to someone's life and having one increases the chances of having another. However, a person should not live in fear and consult doctors about how to reduce the risk of having another one or any at all.
One must be constantly vigilant as stroke symptoms are easy to go unnoticed.