17/06/2022
Common Clinical Conditions for the Elderly: Stroke
🔴What is a Stroke? 🔴
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures and bleeds, or when there’s a blockage in the blood supply to the brain. The rupture or blockage prevents blood and oxygen from reaching the brain’s tissues.
🟠Symptoms🟠
The following are list of symptoms that one may experience if they are having a stroke:
• numbness or weakness in the arm, face, and leg, especially on one side of the body
• trouble speaking or understanding others
• slurred speech
• confusion, disorientation, or lack of responsiveness
• sudden behavioural changes, especially increased agitation
• vision problems, such as trouble seeing in one or both eyes with vision blackened or blurred, or double vision
• trouble walking
• loss of balance or coordination
• dizziness
• severe, sudden headache with an unknown cause
• seizures
• nausea or vomiting
🟡Prevention🟡
Below is a list of ways in which you can prevent a stroke from occurring:
• Quitting smoking
• Limiting Alcohol intake
• Having a healthy diet
• Regular blood tests (at least annually)
• Regular exercise
• Managing stress levels
• Controlling your blood pressure
🟢Treatment🟢
The best way to treat a stroke is to prevent it! If you do have a stroke, then when you are in the hospital, they will guide you as to potential surgeries or medications you may be required to take. Just remember that prevention is the best form of a cure.