Stroke or brain attack is due to transient cut off in blood supply to the brain due to a clot in the blood vessels supplying brain, the clot is formed locally or dislodged from heart and large blood vessels in neck. Age, high blood pressure diabetes, smoking, central obesity, sedentary life style and high cholesterol are major risk factors for stroke.
Stroke presents with sudden weakness in a limb or on one side, speech changes, vertigo & imbalance, vision impairment and behavioural changes. Sometimes these symptoms may last for few minutes and the patient is normal. This is transient ischemic attack and is a harbinger of major stroke in next 48hrs. And hence should not be neglected.
First few hours after the onset of stroke are most important & we call it GOLDEN HOURS. As this is the time when prompt intervention can reverse brain injury and improve outcome in these patients. We inject a drug called tPA with in 4.5 hrs. Of onset to dissolve the clot and restore the blood supply to the brain, patients who receive this injection within one hour of onset of stroke have the best outcome in terms of quality of life.
Even if you are late for injection therapy, don’t get upset. These days we are using endovascular interventions i.e. Remove the clot by mechanical devices upto 6hrs from onset of stroke.
Remember that stroke may be devastating and make a person handicap for the rest of life. The lack of awareness and the nihilistic approach are the major reasons for failure to receive clot busting therapy in time and hence poor outcome.
29th october is world stroke day —a day to increase awareness about stroke recognition prompt intervention and its prevention, an advice to all on this day is never neglect a stroke & even with slightest suspicion approach your nearest stroke center and avail the facility of clot busting therapy…