Stroke: Causes, Symptoms and Prevention

Do you know how does a stroke occur? Many of us are unaware of the exact meaning of this serious medical condition, its symptoms, and consequences. A stroke happens where there is an interruption or reduction of the blood supply to any part of the brain. This deprives the sensitive brain tissues of essential nutrients and oxygen. If this condition continues for some minutes, the otherwise active cells of the brain start dying.

Causes of Stroke

Identifying and understanding the symptoms of a stroke is very crucial as this can help you in the prevention process. In case of prolonged delay, there is chance of permanent brain damage or even death in extreme situations.

• Hemorrhagic Stroke is a condition that happens in case of any rupture or breakage in the blood vessel. This makes the blood flow in the brain tissues directly, damaging the brain cells. Brain aneurysms and high blood pressure are the ones to blame for this.
• Ischemic Stroke occurs due to a blood clot that flows into the brain. Over 80% of strokes occur due to clots that block the blood flow to the essential brain cells, causing a stroke to happen.

Symptoms of a Stroke
The most common symptoms of a stroke are as under:

• Dimming or loss of vision in either one eye or both the eyes. You might actually experience like a curtain falling from above.
• Numbness or extreme weakness in legs, arms or face
• Difficulty in speaking or complete loss of speech or ability to apprehend what others are speaking
• Unstable walking or total loss of balance
• Sudden and severe headache without any reason

How can you prevent a Stroke?

The good news is that you can actually prevent a stroke up to 50%. Keep reading on to know some of the prevention tips!

• Controlling Hypertension or High BP– You can reduce the risk of stroke significantly by keeping a check on your Blood Pressure.
• Lower Cholesterol Levels– High cholesterol and fatty food increases the plaque deposition in the arteries. You can prevent this situation by eating food rich in fiber content and nutrition.
• Controlling Diabetes– Control your surging sugar levels with the help of exercise, dietary modifications and medications.
• Quit Smoke and Alcohol– If possible quit your habits of smoking and drinking as soon as possible to avoid any possibility of stroke.
• Healthy Weight– Having a healthy weight is a key to control all the above-mentioned prevention tips and so the risk of stroke!
• Stop Drugs– If you are a compulsive drugs consumer, then this is the high time you bid goodbye to all of them to prevent the risk of stroke in the long run.

Stroke is a serious medical condition which requires immediate medical attention and treatment. Your pro-activeness can significantly minimize brain damage and other complications. Strokes are treatable and can be prevented as well with the help of some lifestyle modifications. If you or any of your loved ones experience any of the above mentioned symptoms, consult your doctor immediately. PSRI Institute of Neurosciences has highly skilled neurosurgeons under the guidance of the head Neurologist and Chairman Dr. Shamsher Dwivedee handling neurological disorders with expertise and precision. Remember having known the basics of a medical condition can actually save a life!