World Stroke Day is observed on October 29 annually to educate and inform people about the signs and symptoms that one shouldn’t ignore. The day was initiated by the World Stroke Organization to take action to treat complications and promote stroke prevention.
This day is marked to provide support to survivors and caregivers of the community.
Type of strokes
Ischaemic strokes are characterised by the instant loss of blood circulation to the specific area of the brain, leading to a loss of neurologic function. Known as the most common type of stroke, it is caused by thrombotic or embolic occlusion of a cerebral artery.
Hemorrhagic stroke is caused by bleeding in the brain that occurs when the blood vessel breaks down. This stroke is referred to as deadly and needs instant medical attention.
A transient ischemic attack is known as a “ministroke”. While it resolves within minutes to hours, it demands immediate medical attention.
This type of stroke usually happens when the blood supply to the base of the brain is stopped. Some of the functions to be affected by stroke include heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure.
Known as cerebral ischemia of obscure origin, cryptogenic stroke majorly occurs when a blood clot blocks the blood flow to the brain. Although the cause behind the stroke still remains undetermined.
Signs and symptoms
Some of the most common signs and symptoms include severe headaches, numbness in the body especially on the face, leg, and one side of the body, and loss of vision; sometimes the vision is black and blurry. Some other symptoms such as trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, paralysis, nausea and vomiting also indicate that the person is dealing with stroke issues.
Steps to prevent brain stroke
There are several ways through which one can prevent stroke problems.
Treatment for stroke recovery
In most cases, early treatment with medication like tPA (clot buster) can help in reducing brain damage. Whereas an emergency procedure known as thrombectomy can help in eliminating blood clots from a vein or artery which will help to treat stroke. In addition, aspirin and other antiplatelets, anticoagulants, statins, and blood pressure medicines are advised to reduce the risk of clots and to save the patients from stroke arising due to high blood pressure or cholesterol.
