STROKE
A stroke is a life-threatening condition that happens when part of your brain doesn’t have enough blood flow.
This most commonly happens because of a blocked artery or bleeding in your brain. Without a steady supply of blood, the brain cells in that area start to die from a lack of oxygen.
An ischemic stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is blocked or reduced. This prevents brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients. Brain cells begin to die in minutes. Another type of stroke is a hemorrhagic stroke. It occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or bursts and causes bleeding in the brain. The blood increases pressure on brain cells and damages them.
Symptoms
If you or someone you’re with may be having a stroke, pay attention to the time the symptoms began. Some treatments are most effective when given soon after a stroke begins.
Symptoms of stroke include:
- Trouble speaking and understanding what others are saying. A person having a stroke may be confused, slur words or may not be able to understand speech.
- Numbness, weakness or paralysis in the face, arm or leg. This often affects just one side of the body. The person can try to raise both arms over the head. If one arm begins to fall, it may be a sign of a stroke. Also, one side of the mouth may droop when trying to smile.
- Problems seeing in one or both eyes. The person may suddenly have blurred or blackened vision in one or both eyes. Or the person may see double.
- Headache. A sudden, severe headache may be a symptom of a stroke. Vomiting, dizziness and a change in consciousness may occur with the headache.
- Trouble walking. Someone having a stroke may stumble or lose balance or coordination.
When to see a doctor
Seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms of a stroke, even if they seem to come and go or they disappear completely. Think “FAST” and do the following:
Face. Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
Arms. Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? Or is one arm unable to rise?
Speech. Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is the person’s speech slurred or diffCauses
Time. If you see any of these signs, call emergency medical help right away.
Causes
There are two main causes of stroke. An ischemic stroke is caused by a blocked artery in the brain.
A hemorrhagic stroke is caused by leaking or bursting of a blood vessel in the brain.
Some people may have only a temporary disruption of blood flow to the brain, known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA).
Ischemic stroke
This is the most common type of stroke. It happens when the brain’s blood vessels become narrowed or blocked.
This causes reduced blood flow, known as ischemia.
Blocked or narrowed blood vessels can be caused by fatty deposits that build up in blood vessels. Or they can be caused by blood clots or other debris that travel through the bloodstream, most often from the heart. An ischemic stroke occurs when fatty deposits, blood clots or other debris become lodged in the blood vessels in the brain.
Hemorrhagic stroke
- Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or ruptures. Bleeding inside the brain, known as a brain hemorrhage, can result from many conditions that affect the blood vessels. Factors related to hemorrhagic stroke include:
- High blood pressure that’s not under control.
- Overtreatment with blood thinners, also known as anticoagulants.
- Bulges at weak spots in the blood vessel walls, known as aneurysms.
- Head trauma, such as from a car accident.
- Protein deposits in blood vessel walls that lead to weakness in the vessel wall. This is known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy.
- Ischemic stroke that leads to a brain hemorrhage.
Transient ischemic attack
- A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a temporary period of symptoms similar to those of a stroke. But a TIA doesn’t cause permanent damage. A TIA is caused by a temporary decrease in blood supply to part of the brain. The decrease may last as little as five minutes. A transient ischemic attack is sometimes known as a ministroke.
- A TIA occurs when a blood clot or fatty deposit reduces or blocks blood flow to part of the nervous system.
- Seek emergency care even if you think you’ve had a TIA. It’s not possible to tell if you’re having a stroke or TIA based only on the symptoms. If you’ve had a TIA, it means you may have a partially blocked or narrowed artery leading to the brain. Having a TIA increases your risk of having a stroke later.
Risk factors
Many factors can increase the risk of stroke. Potentially treatable stroke risk factors include:
- Lifestyle risk factors
- Being overweight or obese.
- Physical inactivity.
- Heavy or binge drinking.
- Use of illegal drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine.
- Medical risk factors
- High blood pressure.
- Cigarette smoking or secondhand smoke exposure.
- High cholesterol.
- Diabetes.
- Obstructive sleep apnea.
- Cardiovascular disease, including heart failure, heart defects, heart infection or irregular heart rhythm, such as atrial fibrillation.
- Personal or family history of stroke, heart attack or transient ischemic attack.
- COVID-19 infection.
- Other factors associated with a higher risk of stroke include:
- Age — People age 55 or older have a higher risk of stroke than do younger people.
- Race or ethnicity — African American and Hispanic people have a higher risk of stroke than do people of other races or ethnicities.
- Sex — Men have a higher risk of stroke than do women. Women are usually older when they have strokes, and they’re more likely to die of strokes than are men.
- Hormones — Taking birth control pills or hormone therapies that include estrogen can increase risk.
Complications
A stroke can sometimes cause temporary or permanent disabilities. Complications depend on how long the brain lacks blood flow and which part is affected. Complications may include:
Loss of muscle movement, known as paralysis. You may become paralyzed on one side of the body. Or you may lose control of certain muscles, such as those on one side of the face or one arm.
Trouble talking or swallowing. A stroke might affect the muscles in the mouth and throat. This can make it hard to talk clearly, swallow or eat. You also may have trouble with language, including speaking or understanding speech, reading or writing.
Memory loss or trouble thinking. Many people who have had strokes experience some memory loss. Others may have trouble thinking, reasoning, making judgments and understanding concepts.
Emotional symptoms. People who have had strokes may have more trouble controlling their emotions. Or they may develop depression.
Pain, numbness or other feelings may occur in the parts of the body affected by stroke. If a stroke causes you to lose feeling in the left arm, you may develop a tingling sensation in that arm.
Changes in behavior and self-care. People who have had strokes may become more withdrawn. They also may need help with grooming and daily chores.
Stroke Management in Ayurveda
Panchakarma (Cleansing therapies) for Paralysis patients include:
Snehana (Oleation) treatment like massage, Kayaseka, Shirodhara, Shirobasti, Pichu etc with medicated oils followed by different modalities of Medicated fomentation for 7 – 21 days.
Massage with symptom specific medicated oils followed by medicated fomentation helps to increase circulation also strengthens the muscles and nerves.
Virechana (Purgation) – To increase the Metabolism, to relieve constipations, strengthens the gut, also helps to improve the functioning of the nerves in the affected area.
Basti (medicated enema) in the form of Matra Basti, Anuvasana Basti, Nirooha Basti for the period of 8 – 32 days.
Medicated enema helps in nourishing, strengthening, and also stabilizing the overall functions of the body functioning and this treatment takes a major role in healing the stroke patient if they approach within 3 months of the paralytic attack.
Nasya karma for 7 – 9 days –Therapy helps to strengthen the muscles, nerves and circulation above the shoulder.
