The World Health Organization has defined stroke as a cerebral disorder when the blood does not circulate properly in the brain. The stroke thus is a neurological medical emergency where the brain lacks oxygen supply resulting in death or leading to some kind of disability.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 795,000 Americans suffer from a stroke every year. The mortality rate is 140,000 each year.
But medical science is progressing at a fast pace. This has allowed neurologists and medical professionals to better manage emergency stroke conditions. The emergence of intravenous recombinant plasminogen activators has helped doctors to intervene early and control the situation.
You must note that the first 24 hours are quite crucial in managing the stroke. Hence, early recognition of the symptoms and quick action can bring a situation under control.
Types of Strokes
Medical science has identified two types of strokes based on what causes the loss of blood supply. These are-
- Ischaemic Stroke
- Haemorrhagic Stroke
Ischaemic Stroke
Ischaemic Stroke occurs during a complete artery blockage or a full blood clot in the brain. Well, it is one of the common types of stroke with 85% cases. Ischaemic
Stroke can further be subcategorized into embolic and thrombotic. In an embolic stroke, the blood usually clots outside while in thrombotic stoke the artery blocks the supply of blood to the brain.
Haemorrhagic Stroke
Haemorrhagic Stroke is a more severe condition in which the artery gets ruptured or bursts inside the brain. This leads to blood leaking in the brain. The additional supply of blood causes extra pressure and damages the tissues.
Early signs of stroke
- A person will feel a sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm or leg. It usually occurs towards one side of the body.
- He may look perplexed or confused. In addition, he may find it difficult to understand anything or speak.
- He also finds it difficult to see properly with either one or both eyes.
- Stroke can also be identified by sudden difficulty in walking or the person tends to lose his balance. He cannot coordinate the happenings and goes into a state of dizziness.
- A severe headache without any known cause.
Stroke Treatment
Stroke is counted as 24 hour emergency medical service arlington. Hence, you need to be quick and make decisions based on the patient’s condition. Treatment depends on the type of stroke the person has suffered.
Treatment of Ischaemic Stroke
If the patient is suffering from an Ischaemic Stroke, the neurologist would usually prescribe a few medicines so that it does not occur again. Some of the medicines have to be taken with immediate effect for a short duration. Once the situation is under control, the doctor may recommend the medicines for the long term.
Your neurologist may recommend alteplase injections that help to remove the blood clot and restore the blood flow in the brain. Another effective clot-busting medicine is thrombolysis.
Alteplase injections are highly beneficial if they are administered as soon as possible after a stroke occurs. But you have to be given within a span of 4.5 hours to get maximum results.
Usually, the doctor would recommend conducting a CT scan or brain scan test before starting administering the alteplase injections. This is done with an aim to confirm if the patient is suffering from an ischaemic stroke. Alteplase injections can make the condition of the Haemorrhagic Stroke worse.
If there is a severe ischaemic stroke, medical professionals may go for a thrombectomy. This is an emergency treatment where a catheter is inserted inside the arteries. A small device is then passed into the catheter and then into the brain. This device helps to remove blood clots. Your neurologist may also use suction under local anesthesia.
Additionally, there are several other treatment options available that a specialist doctor may use to control stroke. For example, he may prescribe aspirin tablets that will reduce the formation of another blood clot in the brain.
Blood pressure medicines also play an important role in reducing stroke occurrences. All these medicines help to lower high blood pressure.
Some people may be prescribed anticoagulants. This is effective in preventing blood clots. The medicines help to change the chemical composition of the blood. Anticoagulants are handy if you have an irregular heartbeat or blood clots on a regular basis.
Treatment for hemorrhagic stroke
We know that a hemorrhagic stroke is a more severe affair and thus an experienced family medical center azle, tx usually recommends surgery to stop excessive leakage of blood in the brain.
The surgery is generally performed on an emergency basis to remove blood from the brain and repair the ruptured blood vessels. This surgical procedure is known as a craniotomy. The surgeon removes a part of the skull and ensures that there is no clotting in the brain. Part of the skull is then replaced with an artificial metal plate.
Ending up
Now you have some knowledge of what a stroke is, what its symptoms, and what treatment options are. It’s important to live a healthy life so that you never come under its threat.