As you know, timely assistance after a stroke can significantly facilitate treatment and prevent possible complications. But before providing first aid, all people should know which method can accurately recognize the first signs of a stroke in a person.
How to spot the first signs of a stroke
To accurately recognize the symptoms of a stroke in a person, one technique should be carried out, which has the abbreviation “USP”. These three symbols stand for:
- “U” - smile. Ask the patient to smile as naturally as possible. During an attack of a stroke, the smile will be crooked and asymmetrical, one corner of the lips will be downward, while in a normal state it should be smooth and symmetrical. This is caused by the fact that the facial muscles do not listen well to the person, since the part of the brain responsible for facial expressions is affected.
- “Z” - to speak. Or say any suggestion. During a stroke, a person will not be able to speak smoothly and calmly; it will be blurred, slurred, or there will be an audible stutter. It may seem like a drunk person is talking. It is this indicator that often ruins the lives of people who have a stroke on the street, because passersby confuse it with a drunk person.
- "P" - raise your hands. If you have a stroke, a person will not be able to raise both arms to the same level. The arm that is raised lower will indicate the defeat of that side of the body.
Also, during a stroke, a person will not be able to stick out his tongue normally. One side of it will be crooked, irregular in shape, or even the tongue will fall onto one of the sides.
Providing first aid at home or on the street
Since a stroke is a very complex and serious disease, the very first pre-medical aid must be provided in the first time after the attack, namely in the first 3 hours. Losing valuable time after an attack can be tantamount to losing a person's life.
For stroke
Once a patient has been diagnosed with a stroke, standard medical care should be used before the ambulance arrives.
- Calm down and realize the seriousness of the situation, because the health of the person who needs your help at these seconds depends only on you. This is also important for the patient, because a fussy and panicky state will only provoke an increase in blood pressure, which can be very fraught with consequences for the patient in the future. After this, without delay, call an ambulance
- Place the person vertically, but so that his head is raised 30 degrees. This will help reduce brain swelling
- You can give the patient about ten glycine tablets, which will help preserve the vital activity of brain cells and not harm the patient in the future when prescribing treatment
- Immediately begin collecting all the things necessary for the first time (documents, insurance policy, bed and personal linen) and medications previously taken by the patient
- It is strictly forbidden to give the patient food or drink, because they can cause and/or intensify vomiting, because the person’s tongue may be partially functioning at this time. Also, eating and drinking can cause seizures with loss of consciousness. A full stomach during a stroke is dangerous because the contents from it enter the respiratory tract, which can result in aspiration pneumonia
- Do not hesitate with any of the above points, because the sooner a person ends up in the hospital, the sooner he will be prescribed examination and treatment.
The arriving ambulance team will perform all the necessary procedures and injections that meet the standard of providing necessary medical care for heart failure.
Attention! It is strictly forbidden to move a person to another place, because blood vessels can rupture during a stroke, and moving a person to another place can only aggravate the situation.
If a person is unconscious
Here, follow these recommendations:
- After laying the person upright with the head positioned 30 degrees from the floor, try to assess the condition
vital functions of important organs - the respiratory and cardiovascular systems and call an ambulance - If the blood pressure is irregular, breathing is impaired and you do not feel the patient’s adequate inspiration, then you need to quickly perform Peter Safar’s maneuver: tilt the patient’s head back, open his mouth and without extra effort push his jaw out. This will help ensure normal breathing in an unconscious state. If there is vomit in the mouth, it must be removed with a napkin or paper towel. If the patient has dentures, they need to be removed. When the ambulance arrives, the team will install the air duct.
For stroke and acute heart failure
- If you have the opportunity and ability to measure your pulse and blood pressure, be sure to do so, and then report the results to the ambulance crew.
- Place the patient on the right side of the body. This manipulation will avoid blocking the entrance to the airways with the tongue.
- If breathing is normal, then simply turn the patient’s head to either side. This position is safe in case of gagging or vomiting.
Bloodletting
There is one unconventional way from a Chinese professor who will help a person who has suffered a stroke alleviate their condition. And this method is called bleeding from the earlobes of the fingers. Carry out this procedure in the following sequence:
- Place the patient upright with the head slightly elevated. After this, the bloodletting process can begin. To do this, you need a syringe or an ordinary sewing needle, only sterilized in advance. To sterilize the needle, you can hold it over a fire.
- Next, you need to prick all ten fingers a few millimeters from the nail to draw blood.
- After a few minutes, the patient should come to his senses if he is unconscious
- It may happen that the patient’s mouth becomes distorted after bloodletting. If this happens, pull his ears until they turn red. After which you can also pierce your earlobes with a needle or syringe.
After the procedure, you just need to wait for the arrival of an ambulance, which will provide full and necessary medical care.
In no case can you completely solve the problem yourself, because a stroke requires qualified medical care.
We offer a video recording of the program “ Good morning", which tells you how to recognize the symptoms of a stroke and how to help with a stroke:
Providing first aid in a medical institution
Medical care in an institution is significantly different from first aid at home or on the street, because the medical approach involves the use of specialized drugs and injections.
For a microstroke
During an attack of a microstroke, medical personnel will perform tomography and other necessary diagnostic tests.
For ischemic stroke
In case of ischemic stroke, doctors will first administer a solution to dissolve blood clots and will constantly monitor blood pressure readings, as they are very important for assessing the patient’s condition.
To normalize blood pressure, doctors can use intravenous injections of Dibazol or Clonidine. If the desired effect after the administration of the above drugs is absent, then doctors can use ganglion blockers.
For hemorrhagic stroke
Having noticed the main and first signs of a stroke in a person, you should immediately call an emergency ambulance team, because the lack of medical procedures can lead to the death of a person.
Its victims are increasingly becoming people under 40 years of age. Even the blogosphere became concerned about this fact. And it’s not surprising: it’s one thing when you hear that someone’s grandfather died of a stroke, and quite another when this illness struck down your peer, who is not yet 30.
For several months now, one of the most popular posts on the Internet has been this story:
"During a picnic, a girl tripped and fell. She was asked to call an ambulance, but she assured that everything was fine and that she only tripped over a rock because of her new shoes. She was shivering, she looked a little pale, it seemed that she finds it difficult to speak.
We picked her up, helped her brush herself off, made her sit comfortably and brought her a plate of food. Our friend spent the rest of the day cheerfully and at ease, only her smile looked a little forced, not as open as usual. Later, the girl’s husband called everyone and said that his wife had been taken to the hospital. At 23.00 she died. At a picnic she suffered a stroke (acute cerebrovascular accident).
If we, her friends, knew what the signs of a stroke looked like, she might be alive today!”
How to recognize a stroke
The online message is accompanied by advice on how you can accurately identify the disease with just 4 questions.
1 Ask the person to smile (he will not be able to do this from both corners of his mouth, the smile will turn out crooked).
2 Ask them to say a simple sentence, for example, “The weather is nice today” (speech will be slow and the person may not remember the text).
3 Ask him to raise both arms (he will not be able to or will only partially be able to raise).
4 Ask to stick out your tongue (if the tongue is curved or turned, this is also a sign).
If a person has problems even when performing one of these tasks, call 911! After all, doctors assure that if they reach a stroke victim within 3 hours, the consequences of the attack can be eliminated.
Bloggers send out a stroke test to all their friends with a note: “Send this message to at least 10 recipients. And perhaps someone’s life - maybe ours too - will be saved.
Every day we send so much “garbage” around the world that maybe it’s worth putting something really useful and necessary through the wires once.”
Other signs
There are other obvious symptoms of a stroke that allow you to “calculate” the disease:
- Severe headaches, which are most often accompanied by flashing “flies” before the eyes.
- Numbness of the extremities, inability to move either the right leg and right arm or the left leg and left arm. Typically, if mobility is lost on the left, this means that the right half of the brain has been damaged. And vice versa.
- Dizziness, clouding of consciousness.
- Nausea (sometimes vomiting).
- Visual impairment.
- Impaired gait and balance.
Remember, the sooner you call an ambulance, the better. When a stroke develops, minutes really count.
Attack on the young
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed the medical records of 8 million patients and found that the incidence of strokes among people under the age of 50 has increased by about a third in recent years. An unhealthy lifestyle is largely to blame for this, doctors say.
To avoid a stroke, you must:
And, of course, the most important measure for preventing stroke, doctors believe, is blood pressure control and proper treatment of hypertension.
If your blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg. Art., and even more so if it is even higher, there are good reasons to consult a doctor. It is also necessary to control the level of cholesterol in the blood. This is usually done using a blood fat test.
Doctors believe that every person over 20 years of age should check this indicator at least once every 5 years. And in more mature age and more often.
If you take rosehip daily, you can forget about heart and vascular diseases for a long time. This conclusion was reached by researchers from Lund University in Sweden, writes The Daily Mail. Scientists conducted an experiment: obese people drank a rosehip drink made from 40 grams of crushed berries every day for six weeks. At the same time, changes in blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol in the blood were recorded.
At the end of the experiment, these harmful indicators decreased, reducing the risk of stroke by 17%.
Rose hips contain a lot of vitamin C, and it has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect. For example, one 2007 study found that people who took daily rosehip capsules reported a 40% reduction in joint pain and a 25% improvement in mobility.
By the way
American scientists from the Cardiovascular Epidemiological Research Group at Harvard Medical School found that within an hour after drinking wine, beer or other alcoholic beverages, the risk of stroke doubles.
Scientists have found that if a patient has already suffered a mild stroke, but does not quit smoking, then the risk of a second, more severe stroke increases 10 times.
Women should be especially careful with dietary supplements. Research shows that calcium intake is directly related to the increased risk of heart attack and stroke in women.
- In men more often than in women, strokes are fatal.
58 years old - middle age, in which active smokers suffer strokes. For non-smokers this age is 9 years older.
Presented at the Congress of Cardiologists in Ottawa
From this article you will learn: everything about the first signs of a stroke and “later” symptoms, differences in manifestation different types stroke, stroke test.
Article publication date: November 24, 2016
Article updated date: 05.25.2019
A stroke is an acute circulatory disorder in a region of the brain. Regardless of the volume and type of damage, a stroke always poses a serious threat to the health and even life of the patient - it is the second most common cause of death (from diseases) among the world's population.
The course and prognosis are largely determined by the timeliness and quality of care provided: if the first signs of stroke pathology were immediately recognized and the patient received the necessary treatment, the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome (disability and death) is reduced by 2 or more times.
The clinical picture of a stroke consists of cerebral, autonomic and focal symptoms.
First, we'll look at the common symptoms for any type of stroke.
General cerebral symptoms
General cerebral symptoms during the development of a stroke occur due to increased intracranial pressure, changes in blood circulation in the brain and irritation of the meninges. They include:
- Headache of varying severity - from constant aching to sudden, acute and painful.
- Nausea and vomiting due to headache.
- Dizziness, feeling of fullness and tinnitus.
- Disturbances of consciousness - from mild disorientation in space and time to complete loss of consciousness and transition to coma. When disorientated, a person cannot remember (or with difficulty, after long thoughts) remembers the date, day of the week and place in which he is, cannot find his way home, forgets his name, etc. A state of stoppage, characterized by stunnedness, lethargy, is possible , weak and slow reaction to what is happening around. During a coma, there is no consciousness and there is no reaction to tactile or painful stimuli.
- Seizures.
General cerebral symptoms of stroke Focal symptoms
Since each area of the brain is responsible for specific processes in the body (controls memory, attention, speech, movements in one or another muscle group, etc.), when blood circulation is impaired in a particular area, specific symptoms arise - the so-called focal neurological symptoms.
Symptoms of a stroke depend on which part of the brain is affected It is focal symptoms that are extremely important in diagnosing stroke. Based on the nature of focal symptoms, one can not simply judge whether a stroke has occurred: a neurologist or an experienced therapist characteristic features will be able to determine in which area the blood circulation is impaired - even before a special examination is carried out.
A feature of focal symptoms is their appearance on the side opposite to the location of the stroke. So, if blood circulation is impaired in the right hemisphere, then focal symptoms will be expressed on the left, and vice versa.
Certain areas of the cerebral cortex are characterized by “their own” focal symptoms.
Frontal cortex
- Paresis – absence of voluntary movements. They occur in one limb (monoparesis) or in both an arm and a leg on one side (hemiparesis). In this case, hemiparesis will be right-sided if blood circulation is impaired in the cortex of the frontal lobe of the left hemisphere, and left-sided if the stroke affected the right hemisphere.
- Speech disorders – difficulties in constructing sentences.
- Swaying and unsteadiness when walking.
- Changes in personality and behavior - causeless rage or, on the contrary, gaiety; deep apathy with a lack of reaction to what is happening around while maintaining consciousness; atypical behavior (aggressiveness or unjustified cheerfulness).
- Cramps.
- Loss of smell on the side opposite to the lesion.
Parietal lobe cortex
- Loss of tactile sensitivity (lack of sensation from touching the skin).
- Loss of numeracy, writing and reading abilities.
Temporal lobe cortex
- Changes in hearing - deafness, decreased hearing acuity, tinnitus and auditory hallucinations, various defects in auditory perception (up to loss of the ability to understand spoken speech).
- Memory disorders - amnesia (memory lapses), deja vu (false memories of what is happening, the feeling that it has already happened before).
Occipital cortex
Pathology of vision – complete loss and various visual impairments are possible:
- visual hallucinations (a person sees something that is not really there);
- visual illusions (incorrect visual perception of existing objects);
- inability to recognize by appearance objects and people are familiar.
Autonomic symptoms
Autonomic symptoms are caused by changes in the functioning of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. The most common symptoms of a stroke are:
- heartbeat,
- sweating,
- feeling of dry mouth,
- feeling of heat.
These symptoms are nonspecific and serve rather as additional signs; by their presence it is impossible to judge whether a stroke has occurred, as well as its type and severity of the condition.
Differences between ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke
Poor circulation in a region of the brain can occur for two main reasons - due to insufficient blood flow (ischemic stroke) or due to hemorrhage (). Since the causes and mechanisms of development of pathology in these two situations are significantly different, the approaches to treatment will also be different. Therefore, it is important to know the main differences between ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.
Main differences
| Sign | Ischemic stroke | Hemorrhagic stroke |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Most often elderly | Any. Hemorrhages are possible, including in young people |
| Start | Usually gradual, with a gradual increase in severity of symptoms | Typically spicy |
| Severity of the condition | Varying degrees of severity | The condition is serious and extremely serious |
| Consciousness | Various types of impairment of consciousness | More often, loss of consciousness and deep coma |
| Headache | Dull, gradually intensifying. Doesn't always happen | Sudden and very strong |
| Vomit | Rarely | Often |
| Stiff neck – a feeling of rigidity and resistance when trying to bend the patient’s head and bring the chin to the chest | Absent | Almost always |
| General cerebral and focal symptoms | Expressed to varying degrees | Expressed clearly |
Stroke tests
The course and severity of a stroke are determined by many factors. If blood circulation is impaired in small area brain (the so-called microstroke), specific focal symptoms may be absent, and the clinical picture is often blurred. To diagnose stroke in unclear and suspicious cases, there are special tests that can be easily performed independently in front of a mirror, or performed under the supervision of relatives or medical professionals.
Such tests include smiling (baring teeth), closing your eyes, and sticking out your tongue. Due to paresis of the facial muscles during a stroke, a crooked smile (crooked grin), asymmetry of facial expressions, uneven squinting and deviation of the tongue in the direction opposite to the side of the lesion are noted.
In addition to facial tests, tests for coordination and clarity of speech are used. The result of coordination tests for stroke is the patient's instability in a standing position with his eyes closed, missing the finger-nose test (when you are asked to stretch out your arms and then touch the tip of the nose with the index finger of first the left, then the right hand).
To check the clarity of speech, the patient must clearly pronounce a tongue twister or a complex sentence. In the presence of a stroke, this requirement cannot be met.
Indications for testing include any symptoms suspicious of a stroke: blurred speech, changes in behavior or some strange oddities in behavior, memory problems, lethargy, etc.
Test for diagnosing stroke Prevention
Conclusion
Stroke is a serious condition that requires emergency specialized medical care. Even if the patient had a mini-stroke or experienced a transient cerebrovascular accident (the symptoms went away on their own within a few hours), there is a high risk of a second attack in the near future, and in a more severe form. Therefore, if you have any symptoms of a stroke, or even just if you suspect it, you must immediately seek medical help - call an ambulance or take the patient to the neurological department.
If there is a threat of a stroke, you cannot waste a second: his life and the possibility of further recovery depend on how quickly help is provided to the patient.
Vascular diseases of the brain are not only a pressing medical, but also a social problem. Every year, strokes affect about 6 million people worldwide and claim more than 4 million lives.
Relentless statistics also show that the majority of patients who have suffered a stroke become disabled, unable to cope without outside help ( stroke ranks first among all existing causes of disability). Such depressing figures are an indicator that few will be able to avoid a collision with a stroke: this terrible disease sooner or later overtakes either the person himself or one of his relatives or immediate circle.
Serious cerebrovascular disease - stroke, or also called “brain stroke”, includes a whole group of diseases caused by acute cerebrovascular accident, which leads to damage to brain tissue and disruption of its functions.
Stroke is a brain disease caused by blockage (ischemia) or rupture (bleeding - hemorrhage) of a vessel supplying part of the brain, or bleeding into the membranes of the brain. Thus, there are two types of stroke: stroke of the hemorrhagic type (vessel rupture and hemorrhage) and stroke of the ischemic type(blockage of a vessel).Most often like hemorrhagic stroke, so ischemic stroke, develop against the background of hypertension, heart disease (atrial fibrillation, defects, paroxysmal tachycardia), heart failure, cerebral atherosclerosis.
The most common type of stroke is ischemic stroke . 9 out of 10 cases of the disease fall into this category. This type of stroke is caused by a blood clot blocking a blood vessel in the brain. A blood clot can form in the brain itself or enter it from other parts of the body through the bloodstream.
At ischemic stroke The cause of blockage most often is: pieces that come off from atherosclerotic plaques in large vessels of the neck or thrombotic deposits on the heart valves; blood clots that form on large plaques in areas of vasoconstriction, vascular spasms for a long time also become the cause of ischemic stroke.
Stroke hemorrhagic occurs less frequently and differs from ischemic stroke in that vessel rupture occurs at high blood pressure, since the artery wall is unevenly thinned with atherosclerosis.
With such a stroke, blood under high pressure pushes the brain tissue apart and fills the resulting cavity, which is how a blood tumor, or intracerebral hematoma, appears. Or in a hemorrhagic stroke, hemorrhage occurs when a saccular formation on the wall of a vessel ruptures, which is called an aneurysm; such hemorrhage most often occurs in the lining of the brain and is called subarachnoid (SAH). Such hemorrhage occurs more often before the age of 40. Suddenly there is a sensation of a blow to the head (sometimes it is compared to a blow from a dagger to the head), severe headache (at the same time the person screams in pain and then loses consciousness), there may be convulsions, but consciousness is usually restored. The patient is drowsy, lethargic, groans in pain, holds his head with his hands, frequent vomiting and nausea. But, unlike a stroke with hemorrhage and the formation of a cerebral hematoma, such a patient does not have paralysis.
However ischemic stroke is more insidious than hemorrhagic stroke, sometimes signs of ischemic stroke fuzzy, growing gradually or “flickering”. With a hemorrhagic stroke in the cerebral hemisphere with the formation of an intracerebral hematoma, the manifestations are violent: against the background of a hypertensive crisis, a headache occurs or significantly intensifies, often in one half of the head, then the patient loses consciousness, the face becomes bluish or red, breathing is hoarse, and frequent vomiting occurs. . After some time, with such a stroke, a convulsive attack may develop with a predominance of seizures on one half of the body, the pupil on the side of the stroke dilates.
If the patient regains consciousness, then his limbs turn out to be paralyzed; if on the right, then speech disturbances are noted; if on the left, then the patient has pronounced mental deviations (he doesn’t know how old he is, where he is, doesn’t recognize his loved ones, considers himself completely healthy and etc.).
With such an ischemic stroke, rigidity of the muscles of the back of the head is always observed: it is impossible to bend the head in front so that the chin touches the chest (due to pronounced tension in the neck muscles) and rigidity of the leg muscles: it is impossible to lift a straight leg by the heel (also due to pronounced tension in the leg muscles) - signs of irritation of the meninges with blood, the so-called. meningeal syndrome.
For hemorrhagic stroke Patients do not live in the brain stem for more than 2 days and die without regaining consciousness.
For subarachnoid hemorrhage from an aneurysm, a stroke more often occurs after physical activity: lifting weights, trying to break a stick over the knee, nervous stress, accompanied by a short-term rise in blood pressure.
Transient cerebrovascular accidents (TCI) are the most insidious. Depending on the side and location of the brain lesion, weakness occurs in the arm or arm and leg on one side, often accompanied by speech disorders - “porridge in the mouth”, or “verbal hash”; sometimes blindness develops in half of the visual field or complete blindness. These phenomena disappear after a few minutes or less often hours, but during the day they can be repeated more than once. An emergency doctor who arrives to a call can already see " healthy person", although 10-15 minutes ago the patient could not say a word or move his hand. At this time, the relatives calmed down and the doctor is not particularly worried, the patient remains at home, and in the morning wakes up with total aphasia and half paralyzed.
The presence of PNMK is a 100% indication for emergency hospitalization, since a transient cerebrovascular accident is not an actual stroke, but a stroke that will happen sooner or later, and it is necessary to use this signal to eliminate the causes of the stroke.
Recognizing an acute cerebrovascular accident is not difficult when there are severe paralysis, disorders of consciousness and speech, it is more difficult with transient disorders, but there should be one tactic - hospitalization by ambulance, if the patient is not very old and not in a coma.
Stroke - risk factors
The risk of stroke is so high that doctors advise listening very carefully to your health and testing yourself for the following risk factors:
- One or more blood relatives have had a stroke or myocardial infarction;
- Tendency to microthrombosis;
- The presence of angina pectoris, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyscirculatory encephalopathy; Diabetes mellitus contributes to atherosclerosis of blood vessels, and in combination with high blood pressure - indirectly to the development of stroke. And now diabetes, high blood pressure and overweight increasingly common in young people. Alas, not everyone watches their diet and physical activity.
- Smoking, alcohol abuse, excess weight; Need to remember: If you have hypertension and are taking birth control pills, you are putting your health at risk. And if you also smoke at the same time, you risk doubly. Smoking is one of the most significant risk factors, and passive smoking is no less dangerous. Stroke occurs 2-3 times more often in smokers. Quitting smoking completely after 2 years reduces this risk by 50%.
- Periodic cerebrovascular accidents.
- One of the important risk factors for stroke in older people is a sedentary lifestyle. It is customary to take care of the elderly - and the children will go to the store for them and clean the house. But if a person can move, such hyper-care is contraindicated. The elderly, not to mention the young, need moderate exercise every day. By moderate load we mean walking at a slow pace for 30 minutes (at least two and a half hours a week) followed by 10 - 15 minutes of more intense exercise: yoga, or fitness, walking at a fast pace, or exercising on a machine - cycling (at least 1 hour 15 minutes per week). The main thing is that exercise does not cause sweating, shortness of breath and palpitations. But movement is necessary - this is a condition for normal blood flow.
- A person’s mental state plays a huge role in the development of stroke. Stress, anxiety, and nervous stress increase the risk of developing a stroke, especially for people who have previously had a stroke.
Probably only a few will be able to answer “no” to each of these points, if the answer is yes to at least one of the factors you are at risk. And the more of these factors, the greater the likelihood of developing a stroke.
Factors that cannot be dealt with
- One of these factors is age - 75 - 89% of strokes develop after 65 years.
- Gender plays a certain role, so from the age of 44 to 80 years, strokes most often occur in men, and at a young age in connection with taking contraceptives and pregnancy, and after 80 years - in women.
- The third factor is unexpected: scientists found that the risk of stroke after 55 years is 2 times higher in those whose birth weight was less than 2.5 kilograms compared to those who weighed about 4 kg. Apparently, the development of the neurovascular system is not very good, and over time this takes its toll.
- You can't change genetics either. If there have been strokes in the family, their likelihood increases by 30%. But even if such genetics, such birth weight and passport are not encouraging, it is still possible to avoid a stroke.
Monitor your blood pressure and pulse
The main factor in the occurrence of stroke is arterial hypertension (high blood pressure). The maximum safe level for people under 65 years of age is up to 139 over 90. If you have diabetes, then these limits are narrowed to 130 over 80. Anything higher is already hypertension.
In people over 75 years of age, for sufficient blood supply to the brain, it is necessary to maintain pressure figures within the range of 140 over 90 - 150 over 90.
When blood pressure exceeds 160/95 mm Hg. Art., the risk of an attack increases fourfold. If the pressure has jumped the bar of 200/115 mm Hg. Art. - then ten times.
At arterial hypertension It is necessary to contact your local doctor and select adequate treatment. Difficulties in lowering blood pressure are encountered by those who take antihypertensive drugs only occasionally and abuse salty foods.
In some patients, high blood pressure is a symptom of another disease, such as the kidneys, endocrine system, etc. In such cases, in order to normalize blood pressure, it is necessary to take additional medications taking into account the underlying disease.
You also need to monitor your pulse. Atrial fibrillation leads to severe cerebral infarctions. Many people even discover that they have an arrhythmia after a heart attack has already occurred.
Atrial fibrillation itself increases the risk of stroke by 6 times.
Symptoms of a stroke
70% of patients are unaware of stroke symptoms. It happens that a person has a transient ischemic attack (these are symptoms of a stroke that last 24 hours), then the person “let go”, and he thinks that everything will be fine. Maybe it will, but it’s not a fact.
What is a transient ischemic attack?
This is when, due to insufficient blood supply, brain cells in any part of the brain do not function. However, they are alive, and when blood flow is restored, they function again and do not die. But such an attack is a reason to take your health very seriously. After it, the likelihood of developing a stroke increases 10 times. And here you definitely need to contact a neurologist, determine all the risk factors with him and start taking anti-stroke measures in a timely manner. It is also necessary to do an ultrasound of the vessels of the bracheocephalic arteries (in the neck and head) to exclude the presence of atherosclerotic plaques and narrowing of the carotid, vertebral and intracerebral arteries.
So, a stroke does not always reveal itself with such obvious signs as a severe headache, fainting, or failure of the arms and legs. Sometimes the symptoms are mild and go away on their own within a day. This lighter version of a stroke is popularly called a “microstroke,” although there is no such concept in medical terminology.
Experts mean by microstroke a lacunar stroke, which develops when small-diameter vessels are damaged deep in the cerebral hemispheres, or a transient ischemic attack (a cerebrovascular accident with quickly disappearing symptoms).
The insidiousness of this lighter version of a stroke lies precisely in the fact that patients do not even suspect its occurrence, attributing deterioration in brain function to fatigue and poor health. As a result, the person does not see a doctor and does not rush to eliminate the factors that could lead to a second, more severe blow.
Meanwhile, patients who have suffered a transient ischemic attack are several times more likely to be at risk of developing a “major” stroke. And microstrokes themselves, in their repeated manifestations, can lead to a decrease in the intellectual activity of the brain.
Symptoms of any type of stroke primarily depend on which part of the brain and to what extent is affected.
The first signs of a stroke- headache, disorientation, confusion, blurred vision, vomiting, high fever.
The stroke condition is accompanied by depression and the inability to control one’s own emotions. In addition, depending on the size of the affected area, it is accompanied by depression of consciousness up to a coma.
For ischemic stroke the patient begins to feel a gradually increasing weakness in the leg and arm on one side of the body, up to numbness. All this is accompanied by dizziness and severe headache. In addition, with a left-sided stroke, speech impairment may occur. In some cases, convulsions are possible.
Main symptoms of stroke
How can you tell if a person is having a stroke? How to behave correctly in this situation?
There are seven main first signs
, which you should definitely remember (they will all be sudden):
|
1. Facial distortion (numbness of the lip or half of the face). If possible, ask the person to smile; if this is difficult and one corner of the mouth is turned down, this is a sign of a developing stroke “on the face.” 2. Speech Impairment : sudden difficulties with articulation or auditory perception of speech - a person is not able to clearly pronounce the simplest sentences. 3. Changing Perception : the person does not quite understand where he is, what is happening, and what is being said to him. 4. Visual impairment : double vision or the victim does not see part of what falls into the field of vision. 5. Extreme dizziness preventing standing or walking, lack of coordination. 6. Weakness, numbness arms and/or legs or sudden loss of ability to move an arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; the appearance of inability to gesture 7. Very strong headache , inexplicable, squeezing like a hoop. |
Please note that with a mini attack the symptoms may be less pronounced.
The signs of a recurrent stroke in people are the same as those described above. But, unfortunately, its consequences are more severe and the percentage of disability is higher for people who have suffered a second blow.
The above symptoms of stroke indicate the need for immediate intervention by medical specialists in order to urgently begin intensive stroke treatment. Only surgical intervention by doctors will help reduce brain damage and, possibly, stop the further development of this terrible disease.
It is very important not to miss the first symptoms of a stroke and, without delaying a single minute, call an ambulance, whose doctors will help identify the stroke in time and send it to the hospital. Only in a hospital can a cerebral hemorrhage be diagnosed. A CT scan allows doctors to know whether symptoms are caused by a blockage or bleeding. Additional tests may be needed to determine the location of the blockage or bleeding in the brain.
The most common and unforgivable mistake is to wait (what if it gets easier?) or to go to see a doctor at the clinic and waste precious time.
Stroke is an emergency! If at least one of the listed signs appears, you must urgently call an ambulance. The life of a person who has suffered a stroke depends on how quickly he ends up in hospital .
There is not much time to save a life: 3, maximum 6 hours
(until irreversible pathological changes occur in the affected areas of the brain). Only in the first hours after a stroke can blood flow in the affected area of the brain be partially or completely restored and brain cells saved.
When treating a stroke, every second counts. Due to oxygen starvation, brain cells begin to quickly die. There are medications that can prevent brain damage, but they must be used within the first three hours after a stroke. As a result of the death of certain areas of the brain, the parts of the body that they control cannot fully function. Therefore, stroke is one of the most common causes of disability.
Call an ambulance immediately, when calling, try to describe what is happening as accurately as possible. A person suffering from a stroke needs the help of neurologists. Therefore, from your story, the dispatcher should understand you correctly and send you the team that will really help.
Should I call an ambulance or deliver it myself?
The ambulance workers know exactly which hospital the victim needs to be taken to - where the neurologist probably works, and there is every opportunity to carry out a thrombolysis program. When “self-pickup” there is a risk of ending up in a hospital where there is no necessary equipment to carry out life-saving measures. In this case, you can lose valuable time.
Do not give any medications! This can only worsen the victim's condition. Adequate treatment can begin only after diagnosis, and this is a matter for specialists.
Before the ambulance arrives, take the following measures:
Place the patient on high pillows, the head should be approximately 30 degrees higher than the body. Head, shoulders should lie on the pillow, so that there is no flexion of the neck and deterioration of blood flow through the vertebral arteries.
If the patient has lost consciousness, he cannot be moved; provide assistance on the spot. Remember! Do not use ammonia, it can cause respiratory arrest. .
Provide the patient with freedom to breathe, that is, remove his tight belt or tight clothing, if any, and also ensure a flow of fresh air into the room where the patient is located.
Remove dentures from mouth
If the patient begins to feel nausea or vomiting, his head should be carefully turned to the side, this will protect the airways from vomit. You also need to carefully place plastic bag or a basin near the patient. After the attack of vomiting has stopped, you need to clean the patient's mouth as best as possible.
It is necessary to measure the patient's blood pressure and record the readings to inform the doctor. If the pressure is high, then you need to help the patient with appropriate medications. If they are absent, then you need to put a heating pad or a bottle of hot water on the patient’s feet. To avoid burns, you need to control the water temperature.
In such a situation, you cannot fuss and show the patient your anxiety, let alone show the patient your fear. It is necessary to speak calmly and provide moral support to the patient in every possible way.
If a pulse cannot be felt and breathing has stopped, immediately proceed to chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration.
Upon arrival of the ambulance, you must tell the doctors the full picture of the event. Your speech should be fast but clear. Words should be short, but as informative as possible.
A patient with a stroke is transportable always lying down, only if it is not a stage 3 coma.
If a person experiences alarming symptoms, act very quickly and clearly. Remember that after 3-6 hours after the onset of a stroke, it will be impossible to return the patient to a full life.
Signs of death from stroke
The occurrence of death is indicated
- lack of reaction to sound stimuli, ammonia, blows to the cheeks;
- decrease in body temperature;
- lack of breathing and pulse;
- the pupils of the eyes do not react to light;
- the “cat pupil phenomenon” is noted.
Even despite these signs, it is necessary to continue resuscitation measures (artificial respiration and cardiac massage) until the ambulance arrives. Only an experienced doctor can accurately diagnose a person's death from a stroke.
The first minutes of the pre-stroke state determine the further course of the disease. Therefore, your help plays a huge role for the patient. Fast and timely recognition of stroke symptoms in conjunction with quality first aid will help save the patient’s life and ensure complete further rehabilitation:
Stroke is most often accompanied by pneumonia and bedsores, which require constant care, turning from side to side, changing wet underwear, feeding, bowel cleansing, and vibration massage of the chest.
Treatment of stroke includes a course of vascular therapy, the use of drugs that improve brain metabolism, oxygen therapy, restorative treatment or rehabilitation (physical therapy, physiotherapy, massage).
All functions that can be restored after a stroke (speech, motor skills, coordination) are actually restored within the first year. And maximum efforts must be made in the first six months.
Every stroke survivor is discharged with a rehabilitation program. A rehabilitation doctor will tell you what to do to help you recover as much as possible. You will need special gymnastics, exercises and techniques to increase muscle strength.
Perhaps you need to do occupational therapy (if strength in the arms and legs is reduced, coordination is impaired - relearn how to attach clothespins to a rope, use a spoon).
Alas, there is no magic pill that will restore you after a stroke, there is no herbal remedy. You need to take care of yourself constantly. The relatives of a stroke survivor will have to work hard - do everything assigned by the rehabilitation therapist, stimulate the patient, and support him.
Action plan for stroke prevention after 55 years of age
1. Do a cardiogram once a year.
2. Monitor your blood pressure and know your norm.
3. Monitor your pulse (exclude atrial fibrillation).
4. Take a blood test for glucose levels (so as not to miss diabetes) and cholesterol levels at least once a year.
5. Don't smoke and avoid places where people smoke.
6. Remember: the safe daily dose of strong alcohol for men is 30 g, for women - 15 g.
7. Eat 5 fruits or vegetables a day.
8. Don't eat fatty foods.
9. Limit salt intake.
10. Don't overeat. Diversify your diet, optimally 5 dishes and at least 3 meals a day.
11. Lead an active lifestyle.
based on materials from netinsulta.ru, www.angiography.su, 103.by, klbviktoria.com
PS. Scientists warn that drinking coffee, making love, getting angry or even blowing your nose can all significantly increase your chances of having a stroke. Seemingly innocuous everyday needs such as going to the toilet, drinking cola or jumping can, surprisingly, cause a sharp increase in blood pressure and lead to subarachnoid hemorrhage - a factor that is fatal for more than half of women once affected by serious illnesses cardiovascular system.
In fact, anything can trigger a stroke: illness, stress, poor diet, passive lifestyle, bad habits and even active activities sports.
Fact 1
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is either blocked (by a plaque, a blood clot - ischemic stroke) or ruptured (hemorrhagic stroke). After some of the nerve cells die, the body loses one of the functions that the dead cells performed. As a result of the death of part of the brain, paralysis, loss of speech, numbness of body parts and other serious disorders can occur. The larger the area of death in the brain, the more serious the consequences of a stroke.
Fact 2
The statistics of strokes is such that 80% of them are ischemic. Victims are often patients with atrial fibrillation, that is, an irregular heartbeat creates conditions for the formation of a blood clot in the left atrial appendage. Such a blood clot can be transported through the bloodstream to any organ, and often to the brain.
Fact 3
90% of strokes are associated with causes such as high blood pressure, eating fatty foods, smoking, low level physical activity, high cholesterol, diabetes, alcohol abuse, stress and cardiovascular disease.
Fact 4
Even if you do not have the above diseases, after 40 years of age you risk being susceptible to transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) - acute attacks of focal or general cerebral disorders caused by impaired cerebral circulation, lasting from a few minutes to 24 hours.
TIA increases the risk of developing ischemic stroke. Thus, in the first 48 hours after the onset of TIA symptoms, a cerebral stroke develops in 10% of patients, over the next 3 months - in another 10%, within 12 months - in 20% of patients, and in the next 5 years - another 10 -12% of them end up in the neurological department with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke. Based on these data, we can conclude that transient ischemic attack is an emergency condition requiring emergency medical care.
Fact 5
The most common symptoms of a stroke are sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm, or leg, usually on one side of the body. Other symptoms include:
- confusion, difficulty speaking or understanding speech;
- difficulty seeing in one or both eyes;
- difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination;
- severe headache for no specific reason, loss of consciousness.
The effects of a stroke depend on how severely and what part of the brain is damaged. A very severe form of stroke can cause sudden death.
Fact 6
Taking medications prescribed by your doctor is only one way to prevent stroke, however, it must be followed strictly. Especially people at risk. If there is a risk of stroke, anticoagulant therapy is prescribed for life, with elevated level cholesterol, a special diet is indicated for high blood pressure- antihypertensive drugs.
Fact 7
Many people assume that the worst thing about a stroke is not to die, but to remain disabled for life. In fact, recovery from a brain stroke is possible. For treatment and early rehabilitation, an exercise therapy instructor, a physical therapist, massage therapists, etc. are needed. There are cases of 50-year-olds recovering from a cross-stroke and several months of intensive care. Much depends on the will of a person.
Fact 8
Sometimes the disorders caused by a stroke disappear quickly; after a few months, the person’s vision and motor skills are completely restored and he can resume his previous work. In other cases, restoration of impaired functions is delayed. We must be prepared for the fact that therapeutic exercises and classes to restore vision, speech, and motor skills will have to be carried out for a long time and necessarily systematically. It is necessary to exercise especially persistently in the first 2-3 months after suffering a stroke - without missing a day, gradually increasing the load.
Fact 9
Stroke in the left hemisphere of the brain is more common than in the right. It accounts for 57% of all clinical cases of the disease. And since the left hemisphere is responsible for speech and logical function, then with a stroke on the left side, in addition to paralysis of the right side of the body, the very first disorder is language and speech problems. Speech disorders, slurred and unclear pronunciation, misunderstanding of heard speech, a person can only express himself in fragments of words or a set of sounds - this only applies to right-handed people (for left-handed people the opposite is true). With a left-sided stroke, the right side of the face may be paralyzed, or right-sided paralysis of the arms and legs may occur. A person cannot read or write normally, articulation is impaired, and speech memory is lost.
Fact 10
With a stroke on the right side of the brain, patients do not experience speech impairment. For this reason, they seek first medical help later and receive a diagnosis later. That is, a stroke of the right hemisphere is considered more dangerous, since often the time to provide first emergency aid (the first 3 hours after the first signs of a stroke) is missed and the patient dies larger number brain cells that cannot be restored.
The consequences of a stroke on the right side of the brain are as follows:
- paralysis of the left side of the face, left-sided paralysis of the arms and legs;
- disturbances in body perception;
- memory loss;
- visual impairment.
Stroke (brain stroke) is a widespread, dangerous disease associated with acute circulatory disorder in the vessels of the brain. This violation is caused by changes in the properties of blood vessels (increased permeability, severe spasm, blockage) or their complete rupture. How to recognize a stroke in a person in order to provide the necessary assistance in a timely manner?
Stroke is a disease of all ages
If at all times stroke was considered a disease of the elderly, then in today's busy pace of life all age categories are at risk. How to recognize First of all, such a disease, which is one of the main causes of sudden death, can develop in people suffering from hypertension, obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease and high blood pressure. Risk factors also include poor lifestyle, smoking and alcohol abuse. The most common is atherosclerosis, in which plaques that form in the vessels can break off at any moment and block the path of blood flow. This leads to oxygen starvation of a certain area of the brain and its subsequent death. Also, a stroke can occur due to spasms, thrombosis, and hemorrhages. How to recognize a stroke in women and men?
Types of strokes
Depending on the cause of the blood supply disturbance, there are 2 types of strokes:
- Ischemic. In this form, the integrity of the vessel is preserved, and the flow of blood is stopped due to blockage of the arterial lumen by a thrombus or embolus.
- Hemorrhagic. The walls of blood vessels rupture and blood enters the brain.
Something to remember: SPL test
A stroke can be recognized in a timely manner using a simple but informative USP test. To do this, the patient should be asked:
- Smile. A “skewed”, crooked smile with the corner of the mouth downward will indicate numbness of one half of the face, which will confirm the expected diagnosis.
- Speak. The tongue feels stuck, and speech becomes slurred and resembles the conversation of a very drunk person.
- Raise your hands. The arms of a person affected by a stroke will be raised asymmetrically, at different heights.
How to recognize a stroke: symptoms
A patient can independently recognize a stroke by the following signs:
- numbness of the face or one of the limbs;
- severe headache for no apparent reason;
- loss of the ability to speak clearly and understand the meaning of the interlocutor’s speech;
- dizziness, double vision;
- blurred vision of surrounding objects, partial loss of vision;
- coordination disorder, inability to grasp an object with both hands, unsteadiness when walking;
- reduction, distortion or disappearance of sensitivity: taste, smell, tactile sensations;
- partial clouding of consciousness or its complete loss.
Every second is precious
In such difficult moments, people near the patient must behave competently. Don't panic! Don't be afraid! Don't get lost! You need to understand how to recognize a stroke without a doctor. Actions taken in relation to a person affected by a stroke must be confident, clear and coordinated. After all, the patient’s life depends on quick recognition. You need to understand that there is simply no time to think: timely provision of medical care gives a chance to stop the process of loss of neurons in the affected areas of the brain. In the absence of medical care in the first 3-6 hours, the risk of irreversible consequences and death of the patient increases exponentially.
Sequence of actions for a stroke
- Call an ambulance and describe in detail what is happening over the phone. This is required for the dispatcher to understand the complexity of the case and coordinate the necessary specialists to the point of call.
- While the ambulance is on the way, the patient needs to be placed comfortably, with his head positioned 30 degrees above the surface level. It is recommended to use clothes, pillows and blankets as auxiliary materials.
- Ensure freedom of breathing: remove tight clothing, unfasten the belt and buttons. It is necessary to ensure access to fresh air in the room where the patient is located.
- If nausea or vomiting begins, the victim's head should be carefully turned to the side. This action will protect the respiratory tract from vomit. Also, you should carefully place a basin next to the patient or use a plastic bag, and after the vomiting stops, thoroughly clean the oral cavity.
- If possible, it is recommended to measure the victim’s blood pressure and report the readings to the arriving medical team. If the blood pressure is high, the patient needs to be helped with appropriate medications. If they are not available, you should place a heating pad or a bottle of hot water on the patient’s legs.
- Upon arrival of the ambulance, it is necessary to clearly, quickly, and informatively describe to the doctors the full picture of the event.
It is important to know how to recognize a stroke. You can’t fuss, panic, or show fear! You need to speak to the patient in a calm tone and provide all possible moral support.
Sad statistics
People who have had a stroke do not always make a full recovery. Such lucky people make up about 8% of the total number of sick people. The rest are less fortunate: they either remain disabled or die after surviving a fairly short period after suffering a stroke. Such sad statistics are a consequence of late seeking help, and with such a disease, the time factor plays a key role.
Compared to a stroke, the diagnosis “ministroke” does not sound so frightening. How to recognize a stroke or a mini-stroke? This condition is different from a stroke short duration and usually ends in recovery. A micro-stroke is a kind of warning that the circulatory system of the brain may one day fail under the diagnosis of “stroke”, because it is in a deplorable state.
Micro-stroke: who is susceptible?
The risk group exposed to microstroke is still the same:
- hypertensive patients;
- smokers;
- alcohol abusers;
- those suffering from diabetes;
- are overweight;
- prone to thrombosis;
- who have suffered a hypertensive crisis.
Also, short-term brain damage can be caused by fluctuations in atmospheric pressure, stress, and severe fatigue.
How to recognize stroke and micro-stroke
It is very important to identify a microstroke in a timely manner: diagnosing it within 3-6 hours will greatly increase the chances of cure. Dizziness, irritation in bright light and sharp sounds, vomiting, “goosebumps” on the skin - the main symptoms of impending danger, which sometimes cannot be distinguished from an ordinary headache after stress or fatigue. How to recognize stroke and micro-stroke? If the listed symptoms do not subside during the first day, we are talking about this disease. Otherwise, it could be a migraine or a jump in blood pressure.
Most often, a microstroke occurs due to:
- decreased physical activity and excess body weight;
- unhealthy diet;
- non-compliance with the daily routine;
- predisposition or presence of cardiovascular diseases;
- high blood pressure;
- stress;
- heredity;
- bad ecology.
Sometimes an attack can be caused by fluctuations in atmospheric pressure. Most often, microstrokes occur in women: 6-8% more than in men, and are characterized by similar symptoms in both sexes.
Medical therapy for microstroke
When determining the symptoms characteristic of a microstroke, you should definitely visit a doctor who will refer you for a detailed blood test, magnetic resonance imaging, computer topography, angiography, Dopplerography, and echocardiogram. This is required to determine the condition of blood vessels and the heart. Very often, people are negligent about alarming symptoms or do not distinguish between them, so they suffer a mini-stroke on their feet. This is very dangerous for health, because this pathology requires timely medical care. To restore blood supply to the affected area of the brain, it is recommended to use certain medications:
- Vasodilators: "Pentoxifylline", "Xanthinol nicotinate";
- Angioprotectors are drugs whose action is aimed at reducing vascular permeability, improving metabolic processes and microcirculation in them (Tanakan, Bilobil, Nimodipine).
- Metabolic. They cause an increase in the resistance of brain cells to aggressive manifestations. Improve memory and mental activity (Cerebrolysin, Piracetam, Cinnarizine, Vinpocetine).
- Antiplatelet agents are drugs that reduce the likelihood of platelets combining and sticking to the walls of blood vessels: Dipyridamole, Aspirin, Ticlopidine.
Prevention of micro-stroke
The recovery period consists of breathing exercises, massage, physical therapy, diet, and physiotherapy.
As preventive methods against strokes and micro-strokes, it is recommended to constantly monitor blood pressure, remove salty, fatty, smoked foods from the diet and fill it with fish, legumes, fresh fruit and vegetables. A salt-free diet helps lower blood pressure.
It is necessary to forget about smoking, which doubles the risk of stroke. You need to properly distribute your day and adhere to a competent regimen. Be sure to exercise regularly, do exercises daily, and also know how to recognize a stroke and micro-stroke in order to save your own and others’ lives.
