Recognize the various symptoms of stroke based on the type & bull; hello healthy

Stroke is an emergency medical condition that occurs when blood flow to the brain is cut off. Without blood intake, brain cells will die. This can lead to fatal complications, from permanent paralysis to death. There are at least three types of stroke that are commonly experienced, namely ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and mild stroke. Do the three of them have different symptoms of a stroke?

The 2008 Ministry of Health's Data and Information Center report shows that stroke has risen from the fourth rank to become the number one cause of death in Indonesia.

Therefore, it is important to be able to distinguish the symptoms of a stroke from the three so that you can get proper medical help before it's too late.

Symptoms of ischemic stroke?

Ischemic stroke is a type of stroke that occurs when a blood vessel that supplies blood to an area of ​​the brain is blocked by a blood clot. Ischemic stroke is responsible for 87 percent of total stroke cases.

Blood clots are often the result of atherosclerosis, which is a buildup of fat deposits in the inner lining of blood vessels.

Some of this fat deposits can escape and block the flow of blood in your brain. The concept is similar to a heart attack, where a blood clot blocks blood flow to a portion of your heart.

Ischemic strokes can be embolic in nature, meaning the blood clot originates in other parts of your body and then travels to the brain - usually from the heart and the large arteries in the upper chest and neck.

An estimated 15 percent of embolic strokes are caused by a condition called atrial fibrillation, a condition that makes your heart beat irregularly.

This creates a condition in which a clot can form in the heart, break off, and travel to the brain.

Blood clots that cause ischemic strokes will not go away without treatment.

What are the signs and symptoms of ischemic stroke?

Damage to brain cells as a result of an ischemic stroke will cause a number of health problems or symptoms that are usually associated with impaired nerve function.

The types of symptoms that appear depend on the part of the brain that is damaged. So that each person can experience different specific symptoms.

However, in general, the symptoms of a non-hemorrhagic stroke that occur are:

• Experiencing paralysis or numbness in some parts of the body, especially on the face and one of the hands and feet
• Trouble speaking
• Difficulty controlling eye movements
• Difficulty seeing with both eyes
• Difficulty walking
• Difficulty coordinating body movements
• Losing balance
• Irregular breathing
• Loss of consciousness
• Headache
• Gag

It is important to note that symptoms of ischemic stroke generally appear quickly and can last from a few minutes to hours.

Symptoms of a hemorrhagic stroke

A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or bursts. Hemorrhagic strokes account for about 13 percent of total stroke cases.

This type of stroke starts with a weakened blood vessel, then bursts and spills blood around it.

The leaking blood builds up and blocks the surrounding brain tissue. Death or a long coma will occur if the bleeding continues.

There are two causes of hemorrhagic stroke. The first is an aneurysm, which causes a portion of the blood vessel to weaken, causing it to expand like a balloon and sometimes burst.

The other is arteriovenous malformation, which is an abnormally formed blood vessel. If such blood vessels burst, it can lead to hemorrhagic stroke.

What are the signs and symptoms of a hemorrhagic stroke?

The signs and symptoms of a hemorrhagic stroke vary from one patient to another. This depends on the type of stroke and its severity.

Stroke sufferers will also find it difficult to maintain body balance, so even walking is difficult to do.

If the patient experiences intracerebral type bleeding, the symptoms that appear are usually:

• Some parts of the body feel suddenly weak
• Paralysis or numbness in several parts of the body
• It's hard to speak
• Difficulty controlling eye movements
• Vomit with a burst of fluid
• Difficulty walking
• Irregular breathing
• Fainting
• Loss of consciousness

Meanwhile, a subarachnoid stroke will show symptoms that are not much different, such as:

• Very severe and sudden headache (some people describe it as being "struck by lightning")
• Nausea and vomiting with discharge
• Inability to see bright light
• Stiff neck
• Dizzy
• Confusion
• Seizures
• Coma

There may be signs and symptoms not listed above. If you have concerns about a particular symptom, consult your doctor.

Symptoms of a mild stroke

Transient ischemic attack (TIA) or better known as a mild stroke is a temporary disturbance of brain function caused by obstruction of blood flow leading to parts of the brain.

Minor stroke only lasts in less than 24 hours, or even only occurs in a few minutes, so it does not cause permanent brain damage.

This condition causes the nervous system of the brain to not get enough blood and oxygen for some time, causing disturbances in the senses, cognitive abilities of the brain, and motor system.

What are the signs and symptoms of a TIA?

This disease has symptoms that are identical to those of stroke in general, which often appear quickly and suddenly.

One of the most distinguishing characteristics is that the symptoms of TIA only appear for a few moments and will go away on their own.

In most cases symptoms only last less than ten minutes and disappear in less than 24 hours.

The actual symptoms shown vary depending on the part of the brain that is affected by the blockage of blood flow.

However, in general, TIAs affect the parts of the brain that control the motor system, thinking ability, and sense of sight.

The following is a list of the most common mild stroke symptoms:

• Dizziness and sudden loss of balance
• Experiencing muscle weakness on one side of the body, especially on the face, arms and legs
• Experiencing paralysis or numbness on one side of the body, especially on the face, arms, or legs
• Confusion or difficulty understanding what others say
• Experiencing visual disturbances such as nearsightedness, double vision, or blindness in one or both eyes
• Severe headache with no known exact cause
• Difficulty speaking, resulting in unclear articulation
• Difficulty regulating the coordination of the body movement system
• Difficulty walking and moving
• Difficulty swallowing food

Even though the symptoms of TIA are short-lived and can go away on their own, the condition still cannot be ignored. The reason is, people who have a mild stroke have a high risk of having an actual stroke.

Check for any stroke symptoms

Different types of stroke can cause the same symptoms because each one affects blood flow in your brain. The only way to determine the type of stroke you may be having is to get medical help. Your doctor will run a CT-scan imaging test to read your brain.

The National Stroke Association recommends the FAST method to help you identify the warning signs of stroke:

• F (Face): When you smile, does one side of your face droop down (grin)? Is there numbness around the mouth?
• A (Arms): If you raise both arms, does one limp drop down?
• S (Speech / Talk): Is your speech slurred - hoarse / hoarse / slurred / nasal? Is there a change in your volume? Are you having a hard time talking?
• T (Time): If you experience these symptoms, call 119 immediately or go to the nearest emergency room. This is necessary so that you can receive treatment at the hospital stroke unit within 3 hours of arrival.

Are there any differences between the symptoms of stroke?

The stroke symptoms above are signs of stroke in general, so they are not specific enough to differentiate between ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes.

However, a number of common symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, and headaches, as well as altered levels of consciousness, can indicate increased intracranial pressure (normal brain pressure) and are more common in hemorrhagic and severe ischemic strokes.

Seizures are more common in hemorrhagic than in ischemic strokes. Seizures occurred in 28% of hemorrhagic strokes, usually at the onset of intracerebral hemorrhage or within the first 24 hours.

Stroke severity is generally more severe in hemorrhagic cases. In the first 3 months after stroke, hemorrhagic stroke was associated with a sizeable increase in mortality, which is specifically related to the nature of the damage prone to heavy bleeding.

Different types of stroke, different ways of handling

Stroke is a precarious condition. It is imperative to transfer patients to the nearest stroke unit so that they can receive care within 3 hours of arrival to the hospital.

To treat ischemic stroke, your doctor must immediately restore blood flow to your brain. Aspirin is an emergency treatment given to the ER to reduce the chance of having a recurrent stroke.

Aspirin prevents blood clots from forming. Treatment with clot-busting drugs should be started within 3 hours if given intravenously. Therapy the faster, the better.

Emergency treatment for hemorrhagic stroke places more emphasis on controlling bleeding and reducing pressure in the brain. If you are taking warfarin (Coumadin) or anti-platelet drugs such as clopidogrel (Plavix) to prevent blood clots, you may be given drugs or a blood transfusion to counter the blood-thinning effects.

You may also be given drugs to lower the pressure in the brain, lower blood pressure, prevent vasospasm, or prevent seizures.

Surgery can also be done to help reduce the risk of stroke in the future. This effort will increase the chances of stroke patients returning to normal life as before.