Stroke is an acute circulatory disturbance of the brain that develops against a background of various inflammatory diseases of the brain, abnormalities and pathologies of blood vessels, atherosclerosis, hypertension and not only.
This is one of the most formidable lesions of the cerebral vessels - in the list of causes of mortality it and its consequences occupy a position very close to the leading one.
In this article we will look at the main symptoms and the first signs of a stroke and a micro stroke in men and women, and what to do and how to deal with a dangerous cerebral disease.
Causes of the development of the brain disease
Acute disruption of the normal circulatory process in the cerebral vascular system of the , usually causing damage and subsequent "death" of nerve cells.
This condition is not an independent disease, it is always a complication of a disease. Doctors distinguish two main types of lesions:
- ischemic ( also divided into thromboembolic, hemodynamic and lacunar);
- hemorrhagic .
Ischemic lesion occurs in situations when it suddenly overlaps during a severe spasm, and when a thrombus or atherosclerotic plaque enters the lumen that feeds a specific area of the blood vessel.
This type of pathology of the vascular system occurs in 90% of the diagnosed cases of .Hemorrhagic stroke, a rarer variety, occurs when the wall of a blood vessel ruptures and a subsequent spontaneous cerebral hemorrhage occurs.
The main causes of the development of ischemic stroke( which is often called cerebral infarction) are:
- atherosclerosis , which causes atherosclerotic plaques in the blood vessel, leading to a narrowing of the lumen and the formation of a clogging thrombus;
- myocardial infarction , myocarditis of infectious origin, rheumatic lesions and heart operations - one of the consequences of these problems can be the formation of an embolus( a complex vesicle) that clogs the blood vessels;
- hypo- and hypertension , in particular, occurring during them vasospasm, because of which the brain lacks the necessary nutrients;
- damage to small perforating arteries , which cause cavities( lacunae) to form in the deep regions of the brain.
Also to the causes of such hemorrhages are:
- tumors of the vascular system;
- aneurysm of the brain arteries;
- arterial hypertension, developed against a background of various diseases;
- systemic vascular diseases;
- taking some narcotic drugs.
Video on the differences between hemorrhagic and ischemic vascular lesions:
How to determine the onset of which manifestations occur with acute development of
In most cases, the disease affects a person late at night or in the early morning hours. In addition to a sharp increase in blood pressure, the symptoms of the lesion are :
- numbness / weakness of the muscles on one side of the body, covering the face, hands, or legs that appear suddenly;
- difficulties with perception, because of which the patient does not understand what is happening to him;
- problems with speech - articulation and / or perception, arising unexpectedly;
- vision impairment, abrupt, encompassing one or both eyes;
- malfunctions in coordination of movements and gait, often accompanied by dizziness;
- headache, sudden, harsh, no reason, sometimes with nausea.
It is important to be able to distinguish also the symptoms of the precursors of a stroke in women and men, the so-called pre-silt state, in which the patient suffers from depression, becomes unable to control emotions, his consciousness may be depressed up to the state of coma.
To symptoms and signs of the condition before a stroke, doctors also reckon:
- gradually increasing weakness on one side of the body;
- numbness of the limbs;
- dizziness, nausea, severe headache;
- speech impairment;
- convulsions( rarely).
If at this time do not restore blood flow to the damaged areas of the brain and not save its cells, irreversible pathological changes will occur.
In adults and children
Stroke is equally capable of affecting both men and women, however in its development and manifestation there are several differences :
- Blood supply problems occur in men over the age of 40 years, in women the "threshold" is reachedto 60 years.
- In women, the death rate from stroke is higher than that of men, in addition, and they bear the symptoms of the disease more severely.
- The probability of getting sick is higher in men, as they are more likely to abuse harmful habits and engage in intensive physical labor.
Among the signs of an approaching stroke in men, :
- is most often encountered with speech;
- malfunction in cardiac activity;
- lesions of the musculature of the arms, legs and face;
- difficulty swallowing;
- gait disturbance and coordination of movements.
Traditional signs of impending stroke in women are usually the nature of psychological disorders:
- mental disorder;
- attention violation.
Manifestations of the disease in women are more pronounced, so the consequences of the disease most often become severe for the fairer sex. This is also facilitated by the fact that many of the primary symptoms are often ignored, which causes patients to receive treatment after a long time.
Brain circulation may also develop in the child .This happens usually:
- in the perinatal( intrauterine) period;
- in the period of the "newborn";
- in the period up to 18 years.
Symptoms of a stroke suffered by a child during the intrauterine period, only appear after a long time after the birth of .The development of the baby is normal, but with a certain slowdown. If the lesion experienced during perinatal development was severe, a small patient may suffer from seizures of varying severity.
Blood supply disorder, transferred at an early age, may show itself following symptoms:
- with appetite problems;
- cramps of limbs on one side of the body;
- with breathing problems;
- a certain delay in development.
In children older than 18 years, the disease is diagnosed for the same symptomatology as the disease in adults.
As a microstroke
appears Microstroke experts call the same stroke, affecting only small blood vessels in the brain, causing unobtrusive, rapidly healing lesions.
In contrast to the global circulatory disturbance of the brain, the microstroke does not last for long, from several minutes to several hours of ( sometimes up to a day), after it there is a partial or even complete restoration of the functions of nerve cells.
That is why it is important to know the main symptoms of micro-stroke, often manifested against a background of a sharp increase in blood pressure:
- numbness until the loss of sensitivity of the muscles of the face and limbs;
- problems with control over facial expressions;
- weakness in the limbs, expressed in one half of the body;
- disorders of walking, movement, loss of coordination;
- failures of focusing of sight, impossibility of concentration on one subject by both eyes;
- sharp causeless headache;
- loss of speech, inability to speak articulate or formulate complex phrases;
- irritation of the organs of sight and hearing from bright light and loud sounds;
- urge to vomit;
- "goosebumps" outside the temperature range.
Threatens the microstroke:
Consequences of inaction
The main risk of stroke is the consequences and complications that threaten its unseen and untreated appearance in time. Dangers include various problems, of which the most common and dangerous are:
- hemiparesis - a decrease in muscle strength that affects that half of the body that is opposite to the damaged hemisphere;
- hemiplegia - a complete lack of strength in the muscles in the corresponding half of the body;
- central prozoparez - defeat of facial muscles of the face( especially its lower part - lips and cheeks), development of asymmetry of the mouth, problems with eating;
- aphasia or dysarthria - defect / speech impairment, manifested either by loss of the ability to perceive speech and speak, or by damage to the speech device with limited mobility of the organs of speech;
- ataxia - malfunctioning in the coordination of movements;
- apraxia - loss of basic movement skills;
- of vision, hearing, smell ;
- problems with the sensitivity of , which are expressed in the inability to feel the very part of the body, the impact on it by heat and cold, soreness;
- development of various localization and character of the pain syndrome , often accompanied by a decrease in sensitivity;
- depression state .
Treatment: emergency first aid
The main rule of first aid to a person with a stroke: immediate call of ambulance .The first minutes after the attack are the most important - if help is given immediately, you can avoid a large number of problems with brain damage. It is important to correctly describe the symptoms to the dispatcher, and while waiting:
- to lay the injured person, lifting the upper part of the body above the legs;
- does not move the patient;
- remove from the patient tight clothes, open the window to access fresh air;
- do not allow the victim to eat and drink, if necessary - clean the oral cavity;
- to turn a man on his side, putting his head on his arm and bending his leg in the knee;
- with the appropriate skills to make the patient artificial respiration and indirect heart massage.
Doctors of ambulance during the patient's delivery to the hospital , when necessary, administer to him the means that correct the respiratory and cardiac activity of .Steady stroke therapy is the second stage of treatment of this disease.
Further treatment is carried out simultaneously with the fight against major diseases that caused vascular damage. Among the drugs used are :
- funds for hypertension;
- medications to increase blood clotting;
- proteolytic enzymes.
In ischemic attack on the brain, treatment is performed using :
- drugs that dilate the blood vessels;
- medications that promote microcirculation;
- medications that reduce blood clotting;
- diuretics.
Surgical treatment of cerebral stroke injuries is also performed, but only if there are symptoms of squeezing it with hematoma, if there is no possibility to remove cerebral edema and if there is a suspicion of the possibility of a repeat hemorrhage.
How to provide first aid is described in the video:
Diagnosis, rehabilitation, prevention of recurrence
Diagnosis of acute brain blood flow abnormality is carried out in three stages :
- Differentiation of stroke in a patient from other pathological conditions of brain damage.
- Definition of the specific type of stroke;
- Determine the location of the lesion.
To identify the disease specialists conduct:
- laboratory tests;
- biochemical studies;
- investigation of cerebrospinal fluid.
Rehabilitation process - the third stage of treatment - after brain damage includes a set of measures, including not only taking medicines intended to affect the underlying disease, but also other methods: physiotherapy, massage, respiratory gymnastics, physiotherapy .
Recovering people need constant control over the level of arterial pressure, pulse, work of the cardiovascular system.
It is important to ensure comfortable psychological climate and normal nutrition .All these measures are aimed at eliminating the consequences and complications, as well as preventing the recurrence of the attack.
The prognosis for recovery is high in those patients who received timely optimal treatment. Of great importance are measures to prevent further problems with blood supply to the brain, in particular, control of :
- with the state of blood pressure and pulse;
- content of cholesterol in the blood;
- optimal level of physical activity;
- by regular intake of prescribed medications.
Prevention: caution does not hurt!
To avoid the development of complications after a stroke, it is important to remember: the first aid to the victim should be an immediate call of specialists .Unprofessional treatment is deadly dangerous when it comes to the most complex system of the human body - the brain.
And in the end you can see a program in which you will be told how to recover after a disease at home:
