What is a stroke? Causes, signs of stroke and how to prevent it

Recently, we often listen to the radio, the news mentions a lot of the word “stroke” – the cause of many pitiful deaths. The danger is that this type of disease often occurs suddenly, even in people who are in a healthy physical state and tend to be younger in our country.

Therefore, having a complete and correct understanding of stroke is essential. Today Tnhelearning.edu.vn will learn more about this disease with you.

Learn about stroke

What is a stroke?

According to Specialist I Nguyen Hong Phuc – Emergency Medicine Doctor, Emergency Resuscitation Department – Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital, “Stroke” also has a longer name than “vascular accident”. brain” , is a state in which the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, or significantly reduced .

At this time, the brain will be deprived of oxygen, and the nutrients needed to nourish brain cells, causing them to be damaged and die gradually. It is worth mentioning that this process takes place very quickly, only a few minutes will be enough to cause complications that affect the patient’s life.

Main types of stroke

There are 3 main types of stroke:

Ischemic stroke : The majority of strokes (about 85%), are caused by blocked arteries.

Thrombotic stroke : A blood clot, or plaque (also known as fat), builds up in an artery in the neck or brain.

Embolic stroke : A blood clot forms somewhere in the body (usually in the heart) and then travels to the brain.

Although it accounts for the majority of strokes, this type of stroke can be effectively prevented if precautions are taken.

Hemorrhagic stroke : accounted for less than 15% of strokes, occurring when there is a crack in the surface of the brain or cerebral artery, causing bleeding, aneurysm, leading to a change in the cerebral vascular system. shape change.

Transient ischemic stroke (also known as TIA) : Compared with the above two types of stroke, TIA is less urgent because this phenomenon includes stroke symptoms that occur in a short time (usually a few minutes). But it is also not subjective and must be handled quickly and promptly.

Causes of stroke

A stroke happens suddenly and can come from a variety of factors:

Caused by controllable factors

From high blood pressure : High blood pressure increases the likelihood of blood clots forming – the first factors leading to a stroke.

From smoking habits : Smoking damages blood vessels, causing arteries to harden and leading to high blood pressure.

From high cholesterol, obesity : These underlying diseases also easily lead to increased blood pressure, blood fat, thereby causing stroke,

From cardiovascular disease, diabetes .

From transient anemia (TIA).

From stroke recurrence : People who have had a stroke are more likely to have it again in the first months to five years. Therefore, during this time, it is necessary to monitor and observe closely. As time goes on, the chance of recurrence will gradually decrease.

Caused by uncontrollable factors

Age : Stroke does not spare anyone, but the older the person, the higher the chance of having a stroke.

Gender : Historically, more men have had a stroke than women.

Family history : Those born into a family with parents who have ever had a stroke or suffered from heart disease, transient anemia, have a higher risk of disease than the general population.

Signs of a stroke

The common signs of a stroke are this: They often occur suddenly, and intermittently, even without causing pain . Therefore, it will be very easy for us to be subjective and ignore them. Those signs are:

Acute paralysis : Usually stiffening of the face, extremities, or one side of the body . You can check yourself: If you can’t wrap your arms around your head at the same time, or laugh in an unusual way, or droop your mouth, you could be having a stroke.

The body suddenly lost balance, dizzy .

Blurred vision, or sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes.

Suddenly find it difficult to speak , unable to say a simple sentence.

Sudden headache , with no specific reason, accompanied by a feeling of vomiting.

Dangerous complications of stroke

Dangerous complications of stroke

For people who have had a stroke, if not treated promptly, there is a risk of:

• Permanent or temporary disability, the degree of which depends on the length of time that the brain is ischemic and the parts of the body affected by brain cell damage;
• Paralyze, lose the ability to move some muscles or parts;
• Loss of communication, language and mouth movements, difficulty speaking or swallowing.
• Impaired memory, perception, thinking ability, difficulty in verbal expression;
• Affecting psychology, people who have experienced a stroke will have difficulty controlling their emotions, easily withdraw and may experience depression.

How to prevent a stroke?

From the above causes, the best way to prevent stroke is to avoid diseases that increase the likelihood of stroke such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, blood fat, heart disease, etc.

In the case of a disease, it is necessary to pay attention to the control and treatment of the disease carefully. In addition, it is necessary to maintain:

Healthy eating habits

According to Dr. Tran Thi Thu Lieu , Hospital of Traditional Medicine in Ho Chi Minh City: Increase foods to avoid stroke including foods rich in Omega-3 (salmon, tuna…); cholesterol-lowering foods (almonds, soybeans, etc.); rich in magnesium (cereals, avocados, seaweed, raspberries, etc.).

Avoid eating processed foods, canned foods, foods that are too salty , foods high in cholesterol (margarine, fried foods, liver, cheese…)

Limit or give up alcohol and tobacco.

Maintain an exercise routine

Exercise regularly at least 5 days a week, 30 minutes a day . No need to choose exercises that are too heavy such as weights, tennis, jogging, stretching or yoga…

Periodic health examination

It is recommended to have a health check-up every 6 months or once a year , in order to promptly find out the underlying medical conditions and potential risks of stroke to have a direction to adjust life, treat and prevent effectively as directed. doctor.

Stroke treatments

Stroke treatments

Do not let the person having a stroke fall, and call an ambulance quickly , every moment is precious.

Place the person having a stroke in a supine position , ensuring the airway is clear.

Continue to closely monitor the reactions and signs of the person having a stroke.

Note: Do not arbitrarily give acupressure, acupuncture, or wind scraping to people who are having a stroke. Do not let patients eat or drink because it will be easy to choke, obstruct the airway, which is very dangerous. Do not arbitrarily give people who have had a stroke any medicine.

According to the American Heart Association, the golden time to give first aid to a stroke patient is 4-5 hours.

Depending on the patient’s condition, the doctor will prescribe the necessary emergency and intervention measures:

In case of cerebral infarction, anticoagulants must be used within 6 hours.

And intervention to take blood clots with cases of cerebral infarction.

Frequently asked questions about stroke

Frequently asked questions about stroke

Question 1: Is bathing at night not the main cause of stroke?

The answer is NO . Although many strokes occur in the middle of the night, after bathing, bathing at night is not the main cause of stroke. Doctors and experts recommend not bathing at night because that is the time when the temperature drops to the lowest point of the day, and high blood pressure will affect blood circulation, unintentionally becoming a catalyst. indirectly promote cerebrovascular accident.

Detailed reference: The doctor confirmed that bathing at night is not the main cause of stroke

Question 2: Why is stroke increasingly younger?

To find out, let’s take a look at the causes and risk factors for stroke. Young people today tend to use a lot of alcohol, smoke, stimulants, be sedentary, increase the risk of blood fat, obesity, too high cholesterol, leading to cardiovascular diseases and diseases. Blood pressure is the main cause of stroke.

Question 3: Can the one-legged standing test detect a stroke?

The single-legged test to detect stroke originated from a study in Japan in 2014. However, this study was only examined in a small group of subjects over the age of 60 and with underlying medical conditions such as: diabetes, hypertension , has not been extended to other populations, so the feasibility of this test cannot be ascertained.

Therefore, in order to have an accurate diagnosis of stroke, patients need to be examined and tested, especially screening for underlying diseases.

With the above information, Tnhelearning.edu.vn hopes that you have equipped yourself with the necessary and useful knowledge to help you protect yourself and your loved ones. Health is always an invaluable asset, so please cherish, listen and take care of it every day. Wish you are happy.

Source: Vinmec

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