Health

Stroke - Its Symptoms & Causes

Stroke is a devastating disease. There are two types of stroke. In around 80-85 percent cases it is ischaemic stroke where a part of the brain is suddenly deprived of oxygen due to cessation of blood flow to that part of the brain caused by block in artery. As a result that affected part of the brain stops functioning leading to paralysis etc. The second type of stroke is the haemorrhagic stroke which happens in 15-20 percent cases where an artery bursts inside the brain causing bleeding inside the brain thereby damaging the affected part. If a large or vital part of the brain is affected then stroke is potentially life threatening. 

 

Factors mainly responsible for stroke are -

1. Hypertension
2. Diabetes mellitus
3. Smoking habit
4. High blood cholesterol 
5. Lack of physical exercise, etc. among many others.

 

Stroke manifests as a sudden loss of consciousness,  drooping of face, inability to speak, weakness of any arm or leg (paralysis), giddiness or loss of balance, blurring of vision. Whenever a stroke is suspected the patient should be immediately rushed to the hospital. Because with passing time more and more parts of the brain gets affected.  Urgent treatment is of paramount importance to save the life of the patient. 

 

Sometimes a person may have a minor stroke where the symptoms are alleviated within 24 hours. This is called Transient ischaemic attack or TIA. Any such event should not be taken lightly because this may be a harbinger of major stroke in future. Proper treatment to prevent a major stroke is of utmost importance in such cases.