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Stroke 1
Stroke 1
Stroke 1
attack
Strokes are a medical emergency
and should be actively treated.
It is important to understand
that strokes require urgent
treatment, much like
a heart attack. Rapid
treatment can prevent
long-term brain damage
following a stroke.
75% of all strokes are caused by a clot or closure of a blood vessel. This is usually related to
atherosclerosis. The blood vessels become thickened and hardened with fat deposits being laid down.
This eventually narrows the blood vessel so far that the blood supply to the area usually supplied gets
closed off. This leads to a stroke.
15% of strokes are caused by a bleed into the brain. These are more often associated with trauma to
the brain, a ruptured berry aneurysm (an inherited abnormality in the brain vessels) or fragility in the
blood vessels caused by ageing.
A stroke can cause any variety of symptoms. Some of the commonest include:
Do not delay in getting help. Many people make the mistake of assuming their symptoms are not
serious and therefore try a “wait and see” approach, hoping the symptoms will resolve. A stroke is an
emergency and needs to be seen as soon as possible for possible treatment.
Diagnosis of stroke
The diagnosis of a stroke is based on physical signs and symptoms as well as specialised imaging
studies. A CT scan or MRI is needed to see whether the stroke is caused by a clot or by a bleed into the
brain.
The gold-standard of treatment for stroke is thrombolysis. This treatment only works for strokes where
a clot is the primary cause. The clot can be dissolved by giving thrombolytic treatment. This can be
life-saving and brain-saving treatment, however it must be given within 3 hours of the start of the
symptoms.
This means that the person needs to call emergency services as soon as symptoms occur and be
transferred to a hospital that deals with stroke as quickly as possible. From there they need to be
assessed and have a CT scan within 1 hour of arrival.
Using thrombolytic treatments improves the chances of recovery after a stroke by up to 30%.
A stroke is a “brain attack”. Precious brain tissue is damaged when deprived of oxygen and nutrients.
Early and effective treatment can prevent long-term brain damage. Active intervention with
thrombolytics is becoming the gold-standard of treatment. Don’t delay in seeking treatment for stroke.