22/02/2023
♻️ISCHEMIC STROKE
A stroke is an accidental trauma to the brain often following absence of blood flow to the brain.This obstruction in blood flow to the brain can be due to a blockage of an artery which supplies part of the brain with blood. A cerebral artery can also rupture as a result of high blood pressure.This could also stops blood flow to part of the brain, which can also cause stroke.
Whenever there’s a blockage in the lumen of an artery which supplies the brain with blood, the clot or plaque stops blood flow to part of the broke. An ischemic stroke is not different from this occurrence. It is a type od stroke which occurs when there is a blockage in a cerebral artery or an artery elsewhere in the body and travelled along to the brain, stopping blood flow. It’s the most common type of stroke, and around 85% of strokes in the UK are ischaemic strokes.The other 15% of strokes are due to bleeding in or around the brain, known as haemorrhagic stroke.
🔰CAUSES/RISK FACTORS
Blocked brain arteries cause ischemic strokes and TIAs. Any condition that leads to increased fatty plaques in the blood vessels, or blood clots in the bloodstream, can increase the risk of ischemic stroke and TIAs. Conditions include:
•Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries): Fatty buildup (plaque) on artery walls narrows the arteries (stenosis) and increases the risk of plaque breaking off. It may also cause platelets to form where the plaque damages arteries, increasing the risk of a blood clot or blockage.
•Carotid artery disease: Plaques forming in the carotid arteries (major arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain) are a main cause of ischemic stroke and TIAs.
•Atrial fibrillation (rapid, irregular heartbeat): This and other heart conditions can create blood clots that may lead to an ischemic stroke or TIA. Atrial fibrillations are a common cause of embolic (blood clot) strokes.
🔰RISK FACTORS OF ISCHEMIC STROKE
🌀Cholesterol levels: High levels of “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol or low levels of “good” high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol can contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries.
🌀A sedentary lifestyle: A lack of physical activity can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and being overweight. These increase the risk of arterial plaque buildup.
🌀Being overweight or obese.
🌀An unhealthful diet: Consuming too many saturated or trans fats and foods high in cholesterol, sodium, and sugar can lead to diabetes, plaque buildup, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
🌀Being over 55 years of age or older: The risk of stroke increases in people aged over 55 years and increases with each additional decade of life.
🌀People who have had a previous transient ischemic attack (TIA) are also at risk of ischemic stroke. A TIA, or “mini-stroke,” is a temporary blockage of blood to the brain.
♻️SYMPTOMS
The symptoms of an ischemic stroke can involve one or more of the following:
1. One-sided weakness or paralysis.
2. Aphasia (difficulty with or loss of speaking ability).
3. Slurred or garbled speaking (dysarthria).
4. Loss of muscle control on one side of your face or facial droop.
5. Sudden loss, either partial or total of one or more senses (vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch).
6. Blurred or double vision (diplopia).
7. Loss of coordination or clumsiness (ataxia).
8. Dizziness or vertigo.
9. Nausea and vomiting.
10. Neck stiffness.
11. Emotional instability and personality changes.
12. Confusion or agitation.
13. Memory loss (amnesia).
14. Headaches (usually sudden and severe).
15. Passing out or fainting.
16. Coma
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