Stroke usually strikes the elderly people who are suffering from high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. Excessive smoking and alcohol also increases the risk of strokes. Diets that are high in cholesterol, contributes to the build-up of blockages in the arteries. Lack of exercise (in your daily life) can cause hypertension and low blood circulation leading to stroke. Patients suffering from irregular pulse rate are also at a high risk of stroke.
Brain Bleeds!
There are two types of stroke, hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke. The first type occurs, when the blood vessel inside the brain gets ruptured and causes bleeding. This happens due to a head injury. It can also cause the blood vessels to grow thin, resulting in a bulge. It develops slowly over the years and eventually grows so weak that it breaks, causing bleeding. Hemorrhagic strokes are less common compared to the ischemic strokes; they most likely result in death.
Arteries Blocked
Ischemic stroke is the second type of stroke. It occurs when the artery in the brain becomes blocked. It may be caused due to the thickening of the blood, resulting in a blood clot. Other reasons, when the arteries get weakened, narrowed or hardened, stroke is the immediate response of the body. High cholesterol forms plaques that stick on the walls of the artery. It makes the artery thinner, affecting the brain.
Hurting the Brain
If the brain does not receive any blood, the cells would eventually get damaged. To compensate the loss, the body would try to enlarge the nearby blood vessels, and try to restore the blood flow to the affected areas. If the blood flow gets blocked for even more than four minutes, brain cells begin to die. Brain is not capable enough to restore the dead brain cells, again. It may thereby cause paralysis, blurred or lost vision, communication problems, and face drooping to one side. Even if treated quickly the patient may suffer from a long term disability.
Emergency Treatment
The treatment may depend on the type of the stroke. Doctors may try to stop any further bleeding, in the brain or try to restore the blood flow to the brain, by removing the blockage. In severe cases, doctors may try to perform surgery, to relieve the pressure inside the skull.
Medication can be recommended to control fever, nausea, confusion, agitation, blood sugar and blood pressure (high). Aspirin, blood pressure and statin drugs may be advised as preventive medication (user discretion advised).
Complete recovery in the patients does not always occur and many patients may require palliative care. Rehabilitation for stroke patients may include occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy and counseling.
So, save yourself from the deadly stroke, and live happily!