What is a Stroke? Stroke Symptoms and Treatment

More than 795,000 people have a stroke each year. Again, the mortality rate due to stroke is the fifth in the list of deaths due to diseases.

What is a stroke?

Among the most common health problems encountered today, the most common causes of diseases are wrong and irregular diet and exercise. has a sedentary lifestyle. As a result, serious health problems, especially heart diseases, along with atherosclerosis are commonly observed in the society. One of these common diseases is stroke or stroke due to cerebrovascular diseases.
Stroke or cerebrovascular accident is the deterioration in organ functions as a result of the decrease or cessation of blood flow to the relevant organ due to the narrowing or complete obstruction of the blood vessels responsible for the blood circulation of the organs of the nervous system due to various factors. Depending on the affected nervous system organ, very different clinical pictures may occur with varying severity and clinical manifestations.
Although the developing symptoms are predominantly neurological symptoms; It can also result in the disruption of various physiological mechanisms related to body functioning. The resulting clinical picture may be quite severe, which is not proportional to the affected vessel and the degree of involvement, or it may not result in a noisy clinical picture despite tissue death. Therefore, when a stroke develops, each patient is evaluated individually and specific treatment is planned according to the patient's situation. . Therefore, early intervention and restoration of blood circulation in stroke patients are of vital importance in order to avoid permanent damage to the patient. In cases with treatment, the nerve tissue is rapidly lost and permanent neurological findings occur. The obstruction affecting the blood circulation can be progressive and cause the loss of more brain tissue and the death of the patient.

How Does Stroke Develop?

It is imperative that they receive inspiration and oxygen support. Especially cells with high metabolism, such as heart muscle, neurons and striated muscle, tend to lose their functions rapidly in case of insufficient oxygen and die. In this respect, organs of the nervous system such as the brain and spinal cord suffer rapid tissue loss in case of insufficient oxygen. Accordingly, nerve cells temporarily lose their functions for a short time. If blood circulation is restored at this stage; When cells reach oxygen again, they can regain their functions. In the clinic, this temporary loss of neurological function is called trans ischemic attack (TIA). A patient who has had a TIA is generally accepted as a stroke candidate and treatment measures should be taken. Since the healing ability of the nerve cells is very limited, the necrotic area cannot be transformed into a functional nerve tissue again and the neurological ability associated with this area is permanently lost. However, if treatment is delivered to the relevant area in the early period; Some lost abilities can be regained on a limited basis. In this respect, post-stroke rehabilitation programs are important. In this context, a stroke that affects the speech center of the brain results in the loss of speech ability; When the area responsible for hand and foot movements is affected, paralysis may occur in a certain part of the body or in half or all of it. If the cerebellum is also affected, loss of balance and movement; Loss of sensation may develop when the spinal cord is affected. Affecting the centers responsible for the control of internal organs such as the brain stem may result in major consequences that may affect the life of the patient. It can also occur due to any disease that results in insufficient blood circulation in the nervous system. In this regard, in the following cases Stroke may occur in patients.

• Atherosclerosis: Atherosclerosis, also known as arteriosclerosis, is the most common cause of stroke. Atherosclerosis is basically caused by a cholesterol-based structuring that develops in the vascular wall. This structure, called plaque, narrows the lumen of the vessel through which the blood flows, or completely clogs it with the coagulation effect as a result of its rupture, resulting in impaired blood circulation. In this context, various factors such as malnutrition, sedentary life, obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes can cause arteriosclerosis and result in stroke. Occlusion of the veins of the system is called embolism. All kinds of health problems that increase coagulation in the vein may result in embolism.
• Brain hemorrhage: Balloon-shaped disorders in the vessels in the nervous system are called aneurysms. Since the walls of aneurysms are thin compared to the vessel wall and are susceptible to rupture, the integrity of aneurysms may be disrupted and serious cerebral hemorrhages may occur in various conditions. In this case, circulatory failure may occur in the tissues fed by the aneurysm and stroke may occur. This results in circulatory insufficiency and stroke in the relevant tissue. occurs during the course of various auto-immune and rheumatological diseases. Vasculitides may cause stroke by causing circulatory disorder in brain vessels.
• Infections: Various infections in the nervous system can damage both vascular structures;
• Heart failure: In advanced left heart failures, if sufficient blood cannot be pumped to the nervous system, the tissues may be deprived of oxygen and stroke may occur.
• Poisonings: Oxygenation in the blood oxidant cells due to various poisonings Stroke may occur in cases where the gene cannot reach the tissues.
• Smoking: Smoking can trigger the development of stroke both by increasing arteriosclerosis, by stimulating the contraction and narrowing of the vessels, and by impairing blood circulation and negatively affecting oxygen transport.
• Cancer: In various cancers, tumor cells can both enter the blood circulation and cause blockage in the vessels; It may also facilitate stroke by increasing intravascular coagulation.
• Some hematological diseases: Stroke may occur in the course of various hematological diseases such as sickle cell anemia and leukemia.

Symptoms of Stroke What? In this regard, the following symptoms may occur in stroke patients:

Paralysis or loss of strength: Loss of strength or complete loss of muscle control may occur in any muscle group or limb in the body. In this regard, paralysis of one half of the body (hemiplegia), paralysis of the lower half (paraplegia), or paralysis of the entire body (quadriplegia) may occur. In mild forms, muscle weakness can be seen. Again, in cases where the facial muscles are involved, facial expression, shifting or inactivity in one half of the face may occur. Depending on this, sensations such as tingling, numbness or electricity may be felt.

Difficulty in speech: If the speech center is affected, people's speech may be impaired or they can use meaningless words or sentences. Difficulty in swallowing may occur.

Loss of balance: Dizziness, vertigo and loss of balance occur in strokes in which the nervous system centers responsible for balance are affected. may cause.

Consciousness disorder or loss: With stroke, consciousness disorders of varying severity such as disturbances in consciousness, fluctuations, confusion, drowsiness, and coma can be seen.

Behavioral changes: When the centers in the brain where temperament and personality are regulated, various Psychological symptoms may occur

Nausea – vomiting: Nausea reflex may be triggered after stroke.

Pain: Severe headache may occur, especially in cases such as cerebral hemorrhage.

What is Hemiplegia?

Hemiplegia is a common paralysis in muscle groups throughout the right and left sides of the body. It often develops as a result of damage to the nerve tissues that cross in the brain stem due to various levels of blood circulation insufficiency. Accordingly, hemiplegia occurs in patients when the nerve tissues responsible for stimulating the muscles in the relevant half of the body are damaged. Especially in cases where the upper parts of the nervous system such as the brain and spinal cord are affected, paralysis is observed with increased muscle contraction. This is called spastic hemiplegia.

What Is Done in the Treatment of Stroke?

Treatment of stroke depends on the patient's personal characteristics, the severity of the stroke, and especially the time elapsed since the stroke occurred. In particular, in patients who are referred to a health institution in the early period, emergency treatments are administered when appropriate conditions are met.
In this context, anticoagulant (blood thinners) drugs are started within the first 24-48 hours in order to reopen the cerebral vessels clogged with clots. Patients who meet certain criteria can be administered anticoagulant thrombolytic drugs within the first three hours of stroke. In this period, antihypertensives are used to regulate the patient's blood pressure, antiplatelet drugs and cholesterol-reducing drugs are frequently used to prevent the clot from progressing. In this context, clot can be removed by angiographic methods by embolectomy and successful results are obtained within the first 6 to 24 hours. Again, circulation is restored in narrowed or clogged vessels.

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