Brain Stroke

Brain stroke is caused due to a sudden onset of reduced blood supply to the brain. This can occur due to various causes like elevated blood pressure, uncontrolled blood sugars, atherosclerotic disease, valvular heart disease, arrhythmias, and ischemic heart disease. Early recognition of stroke or its related symptoms is the key to effective treatment.

You need to rush to a nearby stroke ready center if you observe one of the following symptoms

• Sudden onset weakness of one half of body or weakness of single limb
• Slurring of speech and facial deviation
• Instability in walking
• Sensory disturbance or numbness of one side of the body
• Sudden onset swallowing disturbances and change in voice
• Blurring of vision and double vision

F-Facial weakness, A-arm swing, S-Speech disturbances, T-Time to call emergency is the usual approach for early recognition.

Diagnosis-

When you approach with the above complaints, the clinical evaluation will be done immediately to check the severity of stroke Imaging will be done-

• CT/MRI Brain
• CT angiography
• Carotid Vertebral Doppler

Treatment-

• Thrombolysis-If the patient presents less than 4.5 hrs to the emergency- thrombolysis can be done in select patients without contraindications. This will help in achieving functional independence in a significant proportion of patients in 3 months.
• Mechanical thrombectomy can also be done in a few patients up to a duration of 6 hrs.

This will also help in the good improvement of stroke symptoms

Early institution of antiplatelets and statin and if necessary anticoagulation will help in preventing stroke recurrence and better outcomes.