Stroke “the Predator”- Minutes Can Save Lives

As a cardiac surgeon, I am very aware of the close links between cardiac health and the risk of stroke. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and blood clots are the major causes among others.

The lifestyle changes for preventing or easing both are the same. Increasing the general public’s awareness on how to prevent a stroke and how to react if they suspect someone is having a stroke is a crucial element in saving more lives or preventing severe complications.

What is a Stroke

 A stroke is a very serious condition, which occurs when the blood supply is cut off or reduced to part of the brain, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients, with the result brain cells begin to die in minutes. If you suspect someone is having a stroke, it is always a medical emergency. The faster they get treatment, the more of the brain you can save.

Globally, stroke is the second highest cause of death and disability. If we look at the United States as an example, someone dies of a stroke every four minutes. The occurrence of stroke in the USA is one every 40 seconds, where as in India the figures are one in every 20 seconds. At this rate, as per the record of Indian Stroke Association approximately 1.8 million people in India suffer from a stroke every year. The worst part is 90 per cent of them fail to reach hospital on time.

The risk of stroke increases as we age. However, a stroke can occur at any age.

Celebrity Real Life Stories

Best known for his role as teen heartthrob “Dylan” in the hit television show Beverly Hills 90210, Luke Perry died of a stroke at only 52 in 2019.

The Basic Instinct actress Sharon Stone was more fortunate when she had a stroke at the age of 43.  Stone developed a stutter and could no longer read.  She has documented her journey to recovery in her book The Beauty of Living Twice.

This year’s World Stroke Day Theme MINUTES CAN SAVE LIVES

When someone has a stroke, time is of the essence. Literally, minutes can save their life or lessen the impact.  It is essential to act fast; in fact, FAST is the way to look for symptoms:

• Face

Look at the face; is it dropping on one side, the mouth or eye may have dropped. Look for weakness to one side.

• Arms

If someone has a suspected stroke, they may not be able to lift both their arms or keep them raised due to weakness or numbness in one arm.

• Speech

Frequently speech is slurred or garbled.  Sometimes, they cannot speak at all.

• Time

If they are showing these symptoms, call for emergency help. Don’t waste any time; every minute is precious to save as much of the person as possible. Also, note the time the symptoms began.

Causes of stroke

There are two main causes of a stroke:

• Ischaemic

When a blood clot or a plaque inside an artery stops the blood supply to part of the brain, this accounts for around 85% of strokes.

• Haemorrhagic

When a blood vessel that is weak (because of high blood pressure or a blood vessel tumour)  bursts in the brain.

A condition called transient ischaemic attack or TIA is closely related to a stroke and is sometimes referred to as a ‘mini stroke’. A TIA occurs when the blood supply to the brain is temporarily interrupted. A TIA can be a precursor to a stroke in the future.

Risk Factors

There are several risk factors that increase the chance of having a stroke.  Some are medical conditions, and some are lifestyle choices. The bad news is that these can be cumulative, meaning that the more of these conditions you have, the more likely you are to suffer a stroke.  The recognized medical risk factors are:

• High blood pressure

This is the single biggest stroke risk factor.

• Diabetes

Those who have diabetes are more likely to have clogged arteries.

• Atrial fibrillation AF

AF is an irregular heartbeat and increases the chances of a clot forming in your heart and causing a stroke.

• High cholesterol

The wrong type of high cholesterol LDL causes plaque and fatty deposits to form in the arteries, narrowing them and making them stiff, leading to slowing of the blood flow and an increased risk of blood clots.

Symptoms can be Alarming

As well as the main symptoms listed in the FAST call to action, there are other likely symptoms that someone is having a stroke.  Many of these are alarming, and it is important not to panic but call the emergency medics immediately you suspect someone is having a stroke.

The other symptoms are not limited to but include any of these:

• Sudden onset of sight problems in one or both eyes
• Sudden problems walking, loss of balance, lack of coordination, or dizziness
• Sudden confusion
• Sudden unexplained headache
• Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech.

What to do

Call for emergency help quickly and reach to the hospital without delaying even a second.  Note the time that the symptoms first started and monitor any deterioration while reassuring the person.

How to Prevent Stroke

Frequently strokes can be prevented or the impact lessened by having an awareness of the implications and the steps to take for prevention.  It is vital for healthcare professionals to educate the global population about the simple steps individuals can take to lessen the occurrence of a stroke.

Eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise are the two main key ways to prevent stroke.  Not smoking or drinking alcohol to excess are other contributory factors for avoiding stroke, heart disease, and other health complications.

Awareness through health educational talks Stroke is Preventable

Public awareness needs to increase through educating people on how to prevent stroke and spot the signs of a stroke.

(ii) Taking care of the risk factors

Starting today, and not putting off a healthier diet and taking exercise could prevent stroke or death.  Don’t delay. Make changes today.

(iii) Act on time to save the complications of stroke/death

By raising public awareness of the importance of calling for emergency help FAST because minutes can save lives, we can save more lives while disability from stroke lessened.

Our body may stand almost anything but our brain is delicate. Let’s take an oath to take care of brain on this “World Stroke Day”.