Strokes are a leading reason for adult handicap as well as the 4th leading cause of death in the United State. It is a “brain attack” that happens when blood circulation to a part of the brain is interrupted.
There are two types of stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic. The first one is typical stroke which is caused by constriction or blockage of brain canals while the latter is less common and it is caused by hemorrhaging.
Every type of stroke is characterized with different symptoms, and it has a different impact in every individual. Still, all types of stroke one thing in common: their symptoms occur suddenly. Here are the most common signs and symptoms of stroke:
- Numbness in your arm, leg or face, especially on one side of the body
- Trouble walking, loss of balance or coordination
- Trouble speaking and understanding others who are speaking
To recognize the beginning of a stroke, you need to be familiar with the F.A.S.T acronym. It stands for:
Face: See whether the side of the face sags and ask the patient to smile
Arms: Ask the patient to lift their arms to see whether one drops
Speech: Ask the patient to repeat some phrase to see whether their speech is strange or slurry
Time: Call the ambulance as soon as possible as every second matters
These warning symptoms occur instantly. Do not wait for your condition to improve or get worse. Call an ambulance once you notice any of the aforementioned symptoms.
You mustn’t try to drive to the hospital, because the medical team will start off their life-saving techniques way before you even get to the hospital.
Sometimes, these symptoms can disappear after several minutes, but you have to get some help anyway. In medicine, these breaks are called transient ischemic assaults (TIAs), and they actually increase the risk of experiencing a full stroke.
The symptoms of migraine are very similar to the ones of stroke, which often makes it difficult for a patient to differentiate them. This is how to make a difference between these symptoms:
- The warning signs of strokes occur suddenly, while in the case of a migraine, the signs occur gradually and spread.
- Sometimes, the symptoms of a migraine are positive in the form of added stimuli, like viewing flashing lights or zigzag forms. In contrast, TIA signs normally start with unpleasant symptoms, like hearing loss, loss of vision, and loss of limb power.
As we said, stroke can strike anyone at any time. These factors can increase your risk:
- Age 55 or older
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- Other conditions like heart disease, atrial fibrillation and blood disorders
- Migraines with aura, or visual disturbances
- Family history
To reduce your chance of getting a stroke, you need to follow a healthy diet which is high in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables as well as to exercise on a regular basis.
No comments:
Post a Comment