condition
Stroke
A stroke happens when blood flow to a part of the brain is cut off. Without blood, brain cells start dying within minutes. This makes the speed of treatment very important, so the most important thing that people can do is recognise the signs of a stroke and call for help quickly.
To remember the signs of a stroke, think “F-A-S-T”. F stands for face (face droop), A stands for arm (weakness in one or both arms), S stands for speech (trouble in speaking), and T stands for time (immediately call the emergency number local to you, such as 999 in the UK).
Other symptoms of stroke can be sudden confusion, blurred vision in one or both eyes, seeing double, dizziness or loss of balance and coordination, and a severe headache.
What can you find here?
What should I do next?
Once you have recognised that someone you are with has symptoms of a stroke, call for help as soon as you can. While you wait, avoid giving them medication, food or anything to drink.
Once they arrive at hospital the medical team will carry out a series of tests to determine if this is a stroke. If stroke is diagnosed, there are different treatment options, including medications and surgery, depending on the type of stroke.
How can a stroke cause damage?
Different parts of the brain may have been affected by stroke, and this gives different symptoms and long term deficits.
The whole of one side of the body may be affected, or just one arm, hand or leg. The anatomy of the brain is complex, and one side of the brain carries messages via nerves to muscles on the other of the body, so a stroke on the right side may affect movement or sensation of the left arm.
A stroke at the back of the brain, over the occipital region, is more likely to affect visual function. If a stroke hits very specific areas of the brain, this may affect speech, either articulating sounds or understanding words.
What are the different types of stroke?
Whilst in all strokes there is a loss of blood reaching a part of the brain, this can happen in two ways:
Ischaemic stroke happens when an artery (a blood vessel taking blood away from the heart) is blocked by plaque or a blood clot, stopping blood reaching a particular part of the brain.
Haemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain breaks and bleeds into the brain tissue.
There is a third type of stroke called a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), also sometimes referred to as a “mini-stoke”. This is where the blockage of blood flow to the brain is temporary, lasting anywhere from a few minutes up to 24 hours. The symptoms of a TIA are very similar to a stroke, but they then improve. A stroke implies permanent damage.
How can I prevent stroke?
Common risk factors for a strokes include high blood pressure, smoking, a history of atrial fibrillation (a type of irregular heart beat), diabetes and high cholesterol. These are known as cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Dietary changes such as reducing salt, cholesterol, saturated and trans-fat intake can reduce the overall risk of stroke. Exercising daily, even for small periods can help improve general health and further reduce the risk of stroke.
Some risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol can be treated with medication alongside lifestyle changes, so if you are concerned you have any of these, see your doctor for advice.
Was this helpful?
