So I have sat down severally to consider how to begin this post about something that saddens me a lot. Currently rotating through the CT Imaging unit and I get to see a whole lot of brain CTs with a stroke mostly, and a few other with other pathologies. One very common omen amongst these stroke victims is that they are aware they are hypertensive or diabetdiabetic but have absconded takeing their medications and this would be almost justifiable when they say to me, the " Hypertension left me"..
I am always stunned when I hear that, from someone who currently can't move a part of their body or has suffered a very bad brain injury.
The brain is a soft tissue mass of delicate and densely compacted neurons and each are designated for specific parts of the body. They ve also got special blood supplies and if blocked or ruptured will lead to both loss of function, death and even mass effect which means the dead or affected tissue can send pressure on other initially unaffected surrounding tissues which worsens the outcome of stroke.
The best approach to stroke is to prevent it, if it happens once , it can happen again and again.
There are two kinds of stroke, first is the ischemic stroke which means that it is cause by a blockage of blood flow to a brain tissue. This could be either because the blood vessel was blocked or narrowed to cause death of the tissue suffered.
When this happens, either the part being controlled loses its function or there is a reduce function, weakness or paralysis.
This ischemic stroke can also be transient where the blockage is for a very short time but has some effect too which don't last more than a day.
When a transient ischemic stroke happens, it is a warning that something more can happen. But when a big blockage occurs, that could be even more injurious and fatal.
The other type of stroke is the heamorragic stroke, here some vessels are known to break, not block and when this happens there could have been either a rupture of an aneurysm or a vessel breaks under pressure.
For which ever the case, Hypertension is a very strong risk factor along side diabetes, bleeding disorders, heart disease and some other specific diseases.
A stroke will present in many different ways that's if the person survives it. If it happens in the wrong part of the brain it can lead to instant death and this is often taken to be the end as very few people go on to do an autopsy.
However, when it does lead to death, it could result in loss of function of some part of the body, it could be the general left side or the right side, with or without facial deviation and weakness.
It may leave such a person unable to move either left or right and bed ridden.
What's striking is that they may have been totally healthy the previous day before a sudden stroke happens.
Most strokes happen at some specific times, some hemorrhagic stroke may be said to happen more in the mornings, because of a peak of the blood pressure at that time while is chemical stroke may just be anytime, which can include mornings as well.
Preventing is will always be far better than treating, and so here are a few tips on how to prevent stroke.
Please share with your loved ones.
Lifestyle Changes:
Exercise regularly: Aim for about 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. This will make your heart healthy and burn of storage of excess fat which may predispose you to thrombosis and stroke.
Maintain healthy weight: BMI between 18.5-24.9.
Eat a balanced diet: Focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins.
Limit sodium intake: <2,300 mg/day.
Stay hydrated: Drink 8-10 glasses of water/day.
Manage stress: Yoga, meditation, deep breathing, socialize.
Medical Management:
Monitor blood pressure: <130/80 mmHg.
Control diabetes: Manage blood sugar levels if you have diabetes mellitus.
Lower cholesterol: LDL <100 mg/dL. You may have to see your Dr for review of your cholesterol levels.
Manage any heart issues quickly: Consult doctor.
Risk Factor Reduction:
Now here are some subtle warning signs you must look out for to know if anyone is having a stroke. They are important because the earlier they can get help from the Doctor the best their chances of surviving.
These warning signs are simplified as FAST.
F - Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of their face droop?
A - Arm: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S - Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Is their speech slurred or difficult to understand?
T - Time: Time is of the essence. Act F-A-S-T.
Above all these, it is very important to know your family history and keep up with those preventive practices listed above.
Remember, prevention is key!
Remember, it can happen to anyone!
About Me:
Hi, I am Dr John Ogbuehi, aka, Jaydr on hive, I write health awareness and medical content on the Med-Hive Community. Other things I do is singing and making music, and making my voice of truth heard out there on other matters that concerns humanity.
