Stroke is a condition in which blood going to the brain gets interrupted because of some obstruction. This can cause severe damage to the brain as well as functioning of the body. World Stroke Day is on 29th October and in order to mark importance of stroke as a health problem, OnlyMyHealth is doing a campaign. This is to raise awareness and information about stroke and problems associated with it. As a result of stroke, brains cells start getting damaged and it takes several years to recover from that condition on a whole. This creates serious problems and lasting effects on the body. Stroke is also of different types. Today we will try to know about different types of stroke and symptoms of stroke which should not be neglected.
Which is the most common type of stroke?
We talked to expert Dr. Abhinav Chaterjee, Consultant Vascular Neurologist, from Vozart Healthcare Hospital, Kanpur. He told that strokes are of 3 different kinds namely transient ischemic attack, ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. The most common stroke which affects people is ischemic and most dangerous one is hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic stroke actually affects almost 83 percent people out of total number of people who get stroke.
Another interesting fact is ischemic stroke are similar to the conditions that happen in a heart attack. This is a major reason because of which many people misunderstand heart attack to be stroke and vice versa. We will discuss about each of these conditions in detail.
What Are 3 Types of Stroke?
1. Ischemic Stroke
An ischemic stroke is the most commonly occurring brain stroke condition; this does damage to your brain cells and can be quite life-threatening. This is caused because of continuous blood clot because of which blood flows into the brain and causes stroke. The clotting of blood is because of atherosclerosis that is due to build-up of fatty deposits on the lining of the blood vessels.
A portion of these deposits can actually create obstruction in the blood flow and thus affect functions getting operated with the brain especially affecting your heart. Due to obstruction of blood clots, it also stops or reduces blood flow to the heart causing heart attack simultaneously.
Ischemic stroke can travel to different parts of the brain because of which it can almost cause blockage in 15 percent of the brain. This is a big amount which could result in permanent brain damage and can even cause death. Ischemic stroke is connected to your heart health, therefore even atrial fibrillation which is a condition of irregular heart beat can also be a probably cause of having ischemic brain stroke.
2. Transient Ischemic Stroke
According to our doctor, transient ischemic attack is a warning stroke or commonly called mini stroke. These strokes can occur at any point of time because of temporary blockage in the blood flow. Transient ischemic stroke is not harmful in the initial phase but it can lead to proper ischemic stroke which could cause a lot of trouble. It is also a warning sign to tell your body that your need proper check-up and treatment soon. Transient ischemic stroke has minimal symptoms which should not be neglected in order to maintain health of the being.
3. Hemorrhagic Stroke
This type of stroke is one of the most life-threatening conditions which could lead you severe complication. Hemorrhagic stroke is basically when the blood vessels present in the brain ruptures or gets damaged because of which the blood gets spread in the surrounding tissues.
Hemorrhagic stroke is also of 3 sub-types. They are-
Aneurysm- A condition that is cause because of weakened blood vessels in an area affecting the blood flow is called aneurysm. This type of hemorrhagic stroke causes damage to the blood vessels at big pace and results to stroke.
Arteriovenous malformation- This is a condition which affects different functions. It causes abnormal blood vessel ruptures because of which the damage and blot clotting remains for longer duration of time. It is a major cause of having hemorrhagic stroke.
Very High Blood Pressure- blood vessels can also get damaged because of high blood pressure in the vessels. This causes weakening of small blood vessel in the brain causing brain hemorrhagic stroke.
Also Read- 7 Myths And Facts About Stroke You May Not Know
Symptoms of stroke that should not be neglected
There are various symptoms that arise before having a full fledged stroke, if these symptoms are observed and action is taken against it, then it can prevent you from having a major stroke. Symptoms of stroke need to be observed very carefully because most of the people are unable to give attention to it. Here are some symptoms which doctor check for in this condition-
- If there is any droop on the face when you smile or laugh, it could be symptoms of upcoming stroke.
- When both arms are raised and one of the arms drifts or drops down without you noticing it.
- In speech, it is noticed if you have slurred speech. Slurred speech could be a result of stroke and you may face trouble speaking fluently if you tend to have stroke.
If there are any of such symptoms, you need to call for medical help and attention as soon as possible. This method is called FAST, which means observing face, arms, speech and time to take action.
Also Read- World Iodine Deficiency Day 2021: How Much Salt Is Beneficial For You?
Other symptoms that might be warning signs of stroke are-
- Having sudden confusion, and difficulty in understanding other person
- Having trouble walking properly or straight
- Sudden dizziness and loss of coordination
- Severe headache that might be very painful and uncomfortable
- Having blurred vision in instant with one of both eyes
These symptoms can be because of mini stroke or major stroke that is going to occur in a short while. Try to contact medical emergency line, speak to doctor and make sure you have a safe place around you in case you fall. Do not neglect any of these symptoms and take precautions for these symptoms of stroke.
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