What are the warning signs of stroke? There are some certain symptoms that can serve as an indication that you could be having a stroke.
Stroke is a sudden disorder of the cerebral circulation that results in an alteration in the function of a region of the brain. There are some synonyms for this disorder such as cerebrovascular accident, brain attack or stroke.
It generally attacks the elderly more than the young and they are caused by a significant decrease in blood flow that receives part of our brain, such as a hemorrhage caused by the rupture of a cerebral vessel.
There are different kinds of stroke. The first mentioned case is called ischemic stroke and the second hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic is the most frequent since it occurs in 85% of cases. Among other aspects, it produces a cerebral infarction.
There is also another type of stroke, actually less frequent but with a much higher mortality, known as hemorrhagic stroke.
That within the most frequent stroke classes, but the truth is that there are also other types depending on the cause that causes it. They are the following:
- Embolic stroke: Also known as cerebral embolism, this is a type of stroke related to ischemic stroke, caused by the formation of a blood clot but located really far from the site of obstruction. It is common that, for example, the obstruction usually occurs in the heart.
- Thrombotic stroke: It is also known by the names of cerebral thrombosis or simply atherothrombotic. It is caused by the formation of a blood clot (also known as a thrombus) that forms in the wall of a major artery, which ends up blocking the passage of blood to a certain part of the brain.
- Hemodynamic stroke: Occurs due to a lack of blood supply due to a drop in blood pressure, resulting in arrest or serious arrhythmia. It is part of the ischemic strokes, but it is actually one of the least frequent.
- Intracerebral hemorrhage: We are facing one of the most frequent hemorrhagic strokes. It occurs when a deep brain artery ruptures, letting out a large blood content. As a consequence, this blood content tends to spread into the surrounding brain tissue, causing irreversible damage.
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage: This hemorrhage is located between the surface of the brain and the inner part of the skull, causing the arterial aneurysm to rupture.
What are the main risk factors?
Did you know that strokes can actually be prevented? This is because, generally, the risk factors that can influence its appearance are attributable to personal, social or environmental circumstances.
Of course, there are risk factors that in a certain sense could not be modified. They are related to family history (genetics), age, sex and race. Thus, for example, those over 60 years of age have a higher risk of suffering a stroke, especially if they are accompanied by other risk factors that could be modifiable.
Precisely, among the modifiable risk factors that could help reduce the risk if we follow them are: hypertension, diabetes, smoking, obesity, following a sedentary lifestyle, high levels of cholesterol in the blood and following diets rich in fats and Salt.
Common symptoms of stroke.
Unfortunately, stroke can sometimes present with varied symptoms even without pain, which further aggravates the consequences since early detection is essential to avoid irreversible consequences.
You have to pay close attention to warning signs such as: pain in the chest or left arm as this can be a “warning” of heart attack.
Below we will detail some clear symptoms to which you should be more than attentive:
- Loss of strength: It is characterized by a sudden loss of strength of the face, arm and/or leg on one side of the body. Like the next signal is abrupt start.
- Sensitivity disorder: A feeling of numbness in the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body. Generally, this sensitivity disorder has an abrupt onset, and a kind of tingling can also be felt.
- Sudden vision loss: Sudden loss of vision, either partially or completely, in one or both eyes.
- Sudden disturbance of speech: Alteration of speech and difficulty in expressing oneself. It is common for the person who is suffering a stroke to find it difficult to express him normally, through a language that is difficult for him to articulate.
- Sudden-onset headache: Severe headache with no apparent cause, actually unusual intensity.
- Sensation of vertigo and imbalance: This sensation is usually very intense, with instability or sudden falls.
Although some of these symptoms disappear instantly, they should not be underestimated under any circumstances, since they have a great alarm value. The reason is clear: if the stroke is not treated quickly it can have serious consequences that will bring health problems from now on.
