What is stroke? Know the symptoms and save a life by getting medical attention

Do you know you can have a silent stroke and not know it? You may only discover when damage has resulted.

Do you know if you get angry a lot, your blood pressure may rise and this may put you at risk for a stroke?

A stroke, is a medical condition which occurs when blood flow is prevented from reaching your brain. The cells of your brain are therefore cut off from oxygen and nutrients. If the blockage is not removed, damage could result.

According to the  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 8 out of every 10 strokes can be prevented.

Types of stroke

1 Ischaemic stroke
This is the most common type of stroke. This occurs when the blood vessels carrying blood to your brain get blocked by blood clots or fatty deposits from your arteries. Atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular heartbeat can cause poor blood flow resulting in blood clots which can cause a stroke if it occludes a blood vessel carrying blood to the brain.

2 Hemorrhagic stroke

The most common cause of a hemorrhagic stroke is high blood pressure (hypertension). If a hemorrhage occurs along the blood vessels in the brain, a hemorrhagic stroke will result. Those who have extremely high blood pressure can suffer from this type of stroke. Those who have high blood pressure should:
know some foods that help in lowering high blood pressure 
know what foods to avoid and 
make lifestyle changes that will generally prevent high blood pressure and other non communicable diseases.

Factors that put you at risk for developing stroke

This factors that increase your risk of developing stroke can be controlled. They are:

• Hypertension

• Heart Disease

• Atherosclerosis (hardened arteries)

• Diabetes

• High cholesterol

• Overweight and Obesity

• Sickle cell disease

• Smoking

• Excessive alcohol intake

• Increase in age

• Family history

• Sleep apnea

Symptoms of stroke

If anyone around you is having stroke, it is a medical emergency and the person needs medical care as soon as possible. The most important symptoms to watch out for are:

1 slurred speech

Someone experiencing stroke will have a slurred speech even when the person is awake. Sometimes, the person may not be able to talk at all.

2 Numbness/weakness of the arms and legs

Someone who is experiencing a stroke may experience weakness in the arms or worst still the arms may be numb. The person may not be able to lift  the arm and suspend it for a while because it is weak. This numbness/weakness may also cause problems in walking.

3 paralysis of the face

Paralysis of the face is one of the symptoms of stroke. You may notice that the person’s face has dropped to one side and he or she may not be able to smile. 

other symptoms include

• headache

• unable to see clearly in one or both eyes

• confusion and not being able to understand clearly

Sources:
Web MD

NHS Choices
Mayo Clinic