Her husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital and within a few hours she passed away. She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps she would be alive today. “Some don’t die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead,” said the nurse.
 

A stroke is a medical emergency and can cause permanent neurological damage, complications and even death. It is the leading cause of adult disability in the United States and Europe and the No. 2 cause of death worldwide. It is also becoming a major medical problem in the Arab world, said Dr. Abdulkader Ajam from the Medical Subspecialties Center in Jeddah.

A  stroke, known medically as a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. Normally, through the blood, oxygen and other nutrients are carried to the brain and waste products like carbon dioxide are pumped away. If this flow gets interrupted, the brain will be starved in getting life-giving oxygen, which causes brain cells to die. This can be due to ischemia (lack of blood flow) caused by blockage (thrombosis or arterial embolism) or a hemorrhage (leakage of blood).

If this happens, the affected area of the brain is unable to function, leading to inability to move one or more limbs on one side of the body, understand or formulate speech or see one side of the visual field. In a few hours or so, the damage to the brain tissue can be permanent, explained a consultant neurosurgeon at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center.
 

The blockage of an artery in the brain by a clot (thrombosis) is the most common cause of a stroke. The part of the brain that is supplied by the clotted blood vessel is deprived of blood and oxygen. As a result, the cells of that part of the brain die and the part of the body that it controls stops working. Typically, a cholesterol plaque in a small blood vessel within the brain gradually causes blood vessel narrowing ruptures and starts the process of forming a small blood clot.

A cerebral hemorrhage occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures and bleeds into the surrounding brain tissue, said a specialist at Dr. Erfan Bagedo General Hospitals.

A cerebral hemorrhage causes stroke symptoms by depriving blood and oxygen to parts of the brain in a variety of ways. Blood flow is lost to some cells and may cause swelling of brain tissue (cerebral edema). Edema and the accumulation of blood from a cerebral hemorrhage increases pressure within the skull and causes further damage by squeezing the brain against the bony skull and further decreasing blood flow to brain tissue and cells.

Caused by a clot, it is also referred to as a “mini stroke.” The blockage is temporary with symptoms occurring rapidly and lasting a relatively short time.
 

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within three hours, he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed and then getting the patient medically cared for within three hours, which is tough.

A stroke is occasionally treated in a hospital with thrombolysis (also known as a “clot buster”). Treatment to recover any lost function is stroke rehabilitation, involving health professions such as speech and language therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy, said a specialist at the International Medical Center.
 

It is important to know the indications of a stroke so that medical treatment can be immediately offered since immediacy is key for a good outcome. The sudden appearance of any of the following symptoms can indicate a stroke:

• Weakness

• Numbness

• Blurred vision

• Confusion

• Slurred speech

• Loss of balance

• Severe headache

Doctors emphasize that a stroke can be identified by a simple test — the STRO test. The STRO test stands for “Smile,” “Talk,” “Raise” and “Out.” The victim is asked to smile, speak a simple sentence coherently, raise both arms and stick out his/her tongue. If the victim cannot do these actions or if his/her tongue is crooked, meaning if it goes to one side or the other, then that could be an indication of a stroke.
 

Risk factors for stroke include advanced age, hypertension (high blood pressure), previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), diabetes, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking. High blood pressure is the most important modifiable risk factor of stroke.

There appears to be a very slight increased occurrence of stroke in people with migraine headaches. The mechanism for migraine or vascular headaches includes narrowing of the brain blood vessels. Some migraine headache episodes can even mimic stroke with loss of function of one side of the body or vision or speech problems. Usually, the symptoms become less intense as the headache subsides.

The human brain is somewhat of a multi-purpose organ. It not only collects information, but also interprets the information collected by the senses. Not only this, the brain directs the voluntary and involuntary muscle movements and allows understanding the form of speech and language.

“Last but not the least, it is the brain which bestows you with your own personality and the sense of self. Now, if you suffer from a sudden stroke, then this can damage any of the above functions of the brain. You need to know why stoke occurs and how a stroke victim can be treated,” said the specialist.

As damage from a stroke can be devastating, it is always important to ensure that proper treatments are given as soon as possible.