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Stroke is also called a “brain attack”. It happens when an artery that supplies oxygen-rich blood to the brain bursts or becomes blocked by a blood clot.
This interruption of blood to the brain can damage or kill brain cells. Depending on where this happens in your brain, the damage can have different effects on your body.
Strokes affect different people differently. Overall, a stroke can affect the way you think, feel and communicate. If you survive a stroke, the brain damage may improve with time as the blood clot is absorbed. More commonly, if a blood vessel is blocked, cells are deprived of oxygen and die. This is known as an infarction. As a result, the parts of the body controlled by those cells can no longer function properly.
Types of stroke
Also called a thrombotic or clot stroke, the Ischaemic stroke is caused by blood clots which shift to a blood vessel in the brain and block blood flow to that area. It usually affects the cerebral hemisphere, the area of the brain that manages movement, language, and other senses. Haemorrhagic stroke, also called a bleeding stroke, is less common, but deadlier. It accounts for about 50 percent of deaths from strokes.
Treatment
Although stroke can cause serious damage, there are ways to recover with proper treatment. Rehabilitation for stroke starts as soon as possible so you can return to your daily routine.
Treatment usually includes hospital treatment where you may be given fluids to prevent dehydration and physiotherapy to prevent pneumonia. In severe cases, neurosurgery may be needed to remove blood clots. Recovery may take several days or weeks after the stroke. In some severe cases, some people don’t make a recovery.
Ischaemic stroke
Thrombolytic therapy is often used to treat Ischemic strokes. Drugs are used to break up blood clots which are the main cause of heart attacks and stroke. The most commonly used drug for thrombolytic therapy is tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). According to research, your survival and recovering chances are greatly improved if you are given a thrombolytic drug within 12 hours.
Haemorrhagic stroke
Surgery may be used to treat a haemorrhagic stroke or prevent it from happening again. The most common procedures include an aneurysm (weakened or ruptured blood vessel) clipping and the removal of arteriovenous malformation (AVM) - masses of abnormal blood vessels in the brain. Both surgeries carry high risks.
Good to know
- Your doctor will suggest treatment that would be best for your condition.
- Not everyone is a good candidate for certain treatments. For example, thrombolytic treatment depends on your age, gender and medical history.
- Whether you’ve had an ischemic or a haemorrhagic stroke, rehabilitation is important.
You may have difficulties with speech and movement which can affect recovery and rehabilitation.
