A STROKE IS CAUSED by anything that stops blood flowing into your brain.
Blood clots and burst blood vessels stop blood flow to the brain. Your brain like every other part of your body needs blood to survive. This blood brings food and oxygen to brain cells which they need to work - just like a computer chip needs electricity to work. When a clot forms in your brain, blow flow past it is stopped like an accident on a highway stopping other cars getting past. This robs areas further on of vital blood killing them and whatever processing used to be done there is lost. So for example, if an area that moves your left arm gets clotted and dies you won't be able to move your left arm anymore. Bleeds into the brain also stop blood flow as they both clot and swell preventing blood flow and causing a stroke.
Mini Stroke
Very often just before a major stroke there are warning signs like the rumblings before a volcano. The symptoms are exactly the same as for a full stroke but they last for less than 24 hours. For example, sudden weakness of an arm that lasts for less than a day and magically clears up. These warning signals are not to be ignored. You need to seek medical attention immediately because timely therapy can prevent a full blown stroke before it happens!
Mini strokes are called Transient Ischemic Attacks in medical speak. It means that you have suffered a temporary loss of blood flow to a part of brain which was not sustained. However, without treatment of the cause you're at risk for 'the big one' that's permanent. That's why it's so important not to ignore a mini stroke and to go get help right away.
Full recovery from a stroke is best the earlier you get to a hospital for TREATMENT!
Treatment for strokes from clots to the brain is different from strokes caused by bleeding into the brain. And 8 out of every 10 strokes are caused by clots.
The recommended treatment for clot strokes if you arrive to a hospital within three hours after the start of your symptoms is clot busting drugs given through a drip. You can think of it like unblocking your kitchen pipe with Draino. This allows oxygen rich blood to get back into the area and save any brain cells that did not die.
For small bleeds, they are often watched and allowed to heal on their own. If getting worse, surgery is done to 'decompress' the brain - the free blood takes up space in your brain squeezing it against the skull.
When you first arrive at a hospital the first thing your doctor does is listen to a description from you of what happened, and then examining you to see if s/he can pick up the signs of a stroke. If it seems likely that you've suffered a stroke then you're sent for a picture of the brain called a CAT scan. This picture then lets your doctors know if you've had a clot or bleeding stroke and plan appropriate care for you - clot busting drugs will make a bleed worse.
You will spend some time in hospital until stable before discharge.
After the hospital, your next stop will be a visit to a physiotherapist. Here you will get exercises and other help to recover your ability to speak, move around, and help yourself. Strokes leave affected arms so stiff that they can get permanently fixed bent at the elbow without physiotherapy - known as a contracture - and walking clumsy as the affected leg no longer responds and has to be dragged along to walk. Physiotherapy can greatly help to improve these conditions.
Stroke Prevention
Strokes don't have to happen! STROKES can be prevented by avoiding the things which cause them known as 'Risk Factors'.
The most important risks for stroke making in you are smoking, high cholesterol blood levels, diabetes not properly controlled, and untreated high blood pressure. All except for the first can be treated with modern medication with ease and should not be the reason for you having a stroke in this day and age. Sadly, most cases of stroke from these factors knew they had the condition but couldn't be bothered to take the medication their doctors had prescribed or just let them run out and never went back.
You can see clearly that nearly all strokes can be prevented but needs your cooperation. A tablet or two a day, a low fat diet, regular exercise and throwing away your cigarettes is a small price to pay for a feeling of well being and the freedom to continue to use your body.
