Paralysis is a very common illness encountered by people. It is also called as Stroke/ Brain Attack.
What is stroke/ Paralysis?
Stroke or paralysis occurs when a part of the brain gets damaged due to its reduced blood supply. It is similar to a person having a heart attack, when the blood supply of the heart gets compromised. The blood vessels of the brain may get blocked (known as Thrombotic/embolic Stroke) or they may rupture (known as brain haemorrhage).
Each of the above types of stroke have different treatment options and long term consequences.
When to suspect that you’ve got a Brain Attack/ Stroke/Paralysis ?
When one half of the body i.e. right arm and right leg/ left arm and left leg develops weakness or stops working/moving. It may or may not be always present, and the following symptoms can also be indicators of stroke –
- Sudden change in voice/ inability to speak or understand written or verbal commands
- Acute confusional state
- Headache with or without vomiting.
- Blurring of vision, sudden vision problem, darkness, or double vision
- Sudden loss of consciousness.
- Sudden facial weakness, facial asymmetry, face and angles of mouth look distorted and asymetrical
- difficulty in closing the eye, drooping of the eyelid
- Fits/ Seizures
What to do when you feel your patient has had a brain attack?
- Immediately take your patient to a Neuro Speciality Hospital
- If patient is taken within 3-4.5 hours(window period), He can be administered an Injection which is a blood thinner, which can dissolve the clot blocking the brain’s blood vessel, and the damage to the brain cells can be minimized, which can result in a better post stroke recovery of the weakness, and better prognosis. This process is known as “Thrombolysis”
- Thrombolysis is present in a dedicated Neuro Stroke Management Centres.
- CT Scan of the brain is usually one of the earliest brain imaging investigations that helps in finding out the kind and extent of damage to the brain.
What are the risk factors for stroke/ brain attack?
- Hypertension (Raised Blood Pressure)
- Diabetes (High blood sugar)
- High Blood Cholesterol
- Preexisting heart diseases such as atrial fibrillation, valvular heart disease, heart attacks
- Chronic long standing kidney disease
- Smoking
- Alcoholism
- Drugs such as cocaine, LSD, amphetamines etc. (get help for a cocaine addiction here)
- Stress/Tension/ Anxiety
- Sedentary lifestyle, with lack of exercise.
- And many more.
PREVENTING ALL THE ABOVE RISK FACTORS CAN HELP REDUCE THE RISK OF A BRAIN ATTACK !!!!!
EVERY SECOND COUNTS once the stroke occurs to the patient.
Rush the patient to the hospital on suspecting a stroke. The Emergency and Neurology departments at Jain Hospital are fully equipped to handle all kinds of Paralysis attacks.