Stroke: Early Warning Signs That Could Mean the Difference Between Life and Death Page:    1     2

With stroke, everybody is at risk. You could delude yourself with a sense of safety because you believe you are young or well. But think again! Statistics show that many middle-aged and even younger or supposedly healthy people have succumbed to an unexpected encounter with stroke. Stroke is also a big killer, while many surviving victims end up with some physical impairment. Is this a message to keep you on edge, waiting for or worrying about a stroke? Certainly not. The exact opposite is the goal - to equip you with knowledge that should help you live safer, minimise the risk of a stroke and if, by any chance a trigger occurs, have a better grasp to move quickly to save life. Given that the person that suffers the onset of a stroke loses co-ordination and may be oblivious of the problem, your understanding of this health danger may also help you save the life of a loved one! It is your recognition of the problem and prompt action to find medical help that could mean a saved life and minimised damage.

Overview: Key Questions
What is a stroke, what are the risk factors to control and what warning signals should trigger a suspicion of imminent stroke?

1. What a Stroke Is and Does
A stroke is the sudden death of brain cells when cut off or obstructed from normal blood supply. A blood clot, for instance, can block a blood vessel supplying the brain or part of the brain. A burst artery, which causes blood to flow into the brain itself is also as damaging. When the normal flow is disrupted, oxygen and nutrients supply to the brain area are constrained, leading to cell death and disorienting the brain in the process. Strokes caused by a clot or other blockage are more common and are termed ischemic strokes. Blood vessel bursts which lead to cerebral haemorrhage, cause haemorrhagic strokes. This constitutes below 25% of stroke occurrences. Overall, stroke is a high-impact health problem, with a high mortality profile. Many deaths occur annually and that is accentuated by the physical impairment it inflicts on many survivors, leaving them largely dependent and taking away much of the excitement of life.

2. Early Warning Signs
Because of some loss of the proper functioning of the brain, the stroke victim may manifest any of the following indications:

• Partial or total loss of voluntary movement - usually affecting the arms, legs, mouth, etc;
• Loss of natural sensation in part(s) of the body, say legs, arm, etc. This could be partial or total;
• Speech impairment - unable to coordinate mouth movement leading to slurred speech;
• Weakness or paralysis in a part of the body;
• Facial paralysis or drooling;
• Numbness or tingling sensation in the arm, leg, face, mouth or other part;
• Sudden impairment of vision: blurring, dimness, or even blindness, usually in one eye;
• Loss of balance or some feeling of dizziness;
• Sudden inability to understand what others are saying or what is read;
• Difficulty with swallowing due to motor coordination failure.

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Any, or a combination of these indications may be present. Understandably, the effect that is noticed will depend on which part of the brain in most affected. It's important to state that some of these symptoms may also be caused by some other factor(s) than stroke. Considering the danger however, it is best to act quickly in getting medical help and letting the expert undertake the necessary assessment.

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