Are you at risk of stroke?Here’s how you can know

First, let’s understand what a brain attack is and why. Strokes / attacks occur where the blood supply of blood vessels to the brain is affected. The cause is similar to the cause of a heart attack. Therefore, it is also commonly referred to as a stroke. A heart attack is caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the blood vessels to the heart, resulting in an impaired supply of glucose and oxygen. Tissues supplied by blood vessels are deficient in oxygen and die. When a blood vessel to the brain is blocked, the part of the brain that is deprived of oxygen and glucose and dies. Loss of function depends on what is controlled by the blocked blood vessels and that part of the brain. This manifests as a stroke.

The causes of both problems and risk factors are very similar because they are related to blood vessels. Risk factors are uncontrolled diabetes and high blood pressure, smoking, poor diet, high cholesterol, and lack of exercise. There is no correlation between the two, but the triggers are similar.

How can I detect a stroke?

The most important factors are early detection and early diagnosis. If someone suddenly has chest pain or shortness of breath, everyone knows it is a heart attack and we are in a hurry to an emergency. Similarly, to detect a stroke, we follow an acronym called FAST.

F for face: When asked to smile, one side of the face may be stuck / asymmetrical smile

A is for arms: If you ask to extend both arms, you will find that one arm cannot maintain its position

S is for speech: they may not fully understand you, and even if they do, they may not be able to express clearly because their speech is affected.

T is time: time is essential.If you have problems with your face, arms, or speaking style, you need to hurry to an emergency

The only thing that is common to all symptoms is the sudden onset. At one moment they are fine and at another moment he may be symptomatic, which may mean that it was an acute stroke. Stroke should be suspected if any of these symptoms are suddenly observed in a person. Most importantly, if you have a blood clot that blocks an item, you need to rush to an emergency because you can administer a specific drug that breaks the blood clot. It can restore blood flow to the patient. This is very important. This is because this potential treatment as a game changer is possible only if this is done in the first 3 hours of the stroke. In general, people are at home hoping that something has happened, and it disappears without the need for any treatment. Therefore, this treatment will only work if you arrive at the hospital in time in the first few hours. This is called a thrombolytic agent.

If a person cannot reach the advanced nerve center, the backup they have is that the blood clot has not dissolved due to the use of the drug, so a wire can be inserted into the crotch, blood vessels and guide it. A catheter can be inserted into a blood vessel in the brain that has a blood clot and the blood clot can be mechanically absorbed or removed through this wire. This is called mechanical thrombectomy and can be done 24 hours after the stroke has passed. Therefore, if you miss your dose, there are mechanical steps to reestablish your flow. Reestablishing the flow of oxygen is very important. Otherwise, the area of ​​the brain that does not receive blood will die and cannot be revived, and the patient may develop lifelong disability. Therefore, if they arrive at the hospital in time and can perform thrombolytic therapy or mechanical thrombectomy, their quality of life will be greatly improved. Recognition of early stroke is very important. If in doubt, go to the hospital and talk to your doctor to start treatment. However, this should be done in a center that is targeted at thrombolytic agents and has the personnel and tools to perform a thrombectomy.

The medanta has a stroke code. If the patient is known to have a stroke, the stroke code is activated because these steps need to be done very efficiently and very fast to perform these steps in a timely manner. When the stroke code is activated, a message is sent to approximately 12 neurologists, stroke nurses, CT technicians, neurosurgeons, neurointerventors, and angiography suite technicians. The purpose is not to waste time. We aim for patients to enter our facility in only 30-60 minutes to provide them with all the treatment they need. We have a system in place to ensure that these technologies are available for a limited time. Suppose only 2 out of 10 people have a stroke, but I still think it’s a successful job because it can save the quality of life of at least 2 patients.

Otherwise, a stroke can have a huge impact on someone’s life. Because if you are left speechless or your arms and legs are paralyzed, you will have to live with it for the rest of your life. However, if the blood flow is successfully established, the person can lead a normal life. If they reach in time and their neurons and brain cells are not dead, they will function normally as soon as their supply is reestablished, allowing them to lead a normal life.

This article was written by Dr. Shin, President of the Medanta Institute of Neuroscience.