22/08/2023
What is a stroke?
A stroke occurs when blood vessels carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain suddenly become blocked or burst. When this happens, part of the brain can’t get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so the affected brain cells die.
This can result in parts of the brain being permanently damaged.
Knowing the signs of a stroke and seeking immediate medical help can improve the outcome of the stroke. The symptoms of stroke appear suddenly and often there's more than one symptom at the same time.
The symptoms of stroke include:
Sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm or leg on one side of the body.
Sudden confusion.
Sudden loss of speech, or trouble speaking or understanding speech.
Sudden loss of vision.
Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or trouble with walking.
Sudden severe or unusual headache.
Act F-A-S-T
FAST is a simple way to remember the signs of a stroke and that it’s important to seek medical help urgently
F – Face drooping
A – Arm weakness
S – Speech difficulty
T – Time to call emergency medical services
Kinds of strokes
There are 4 kinds of stroke:
Ischemic strokes (caused by narrowing or blocking of arteries to the brain).
Hemorrhagic strokes (caused by blood vessels in and around the brain bursting or leaking).
Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), also known as mini-strokes (occurs when blood flow to part of the brain stops for a short period of time).
Amaurosis Fugax (occurs when a blood clot has become lodged in the blood vessel at the back of the eye, causing loss of vision.
Having a stroke can be a life changing experience but remember almost all stroke survivors will recover to some extent. If you had a stroke you can go on to lead a normal meaningful life with the Physiotherapy & TCM Acupuncture.
