The prevention of cerebrovascular accidents requires better knowledge of risk factors but also that of warning signals. Thus, nearly a third of long-term ischemic strokes are preceded by transient ischemic strokes whose symptoms are brief. Too often neglected, they must lead to consult.
Summary
What is a stroke?
The different types of stroke
Stroke prevention: transient ischemic attacks that should not be overlooked
Stroke warning signs: know them to react quickly
Good reflexes while waiting for help
Stroke Signs
“Knowing the warning signs of strokes would save thousands of lives each year . ” This slogan of the prestigious American Heart Association is easily transposable to our country. Emergency treatment by the emergency services is essential to limit the dreadful consequences of a stroke. But for that, you still have to know how to recognize it. What are the warning signs and then the symptoms?
What is a stroke?
A stroke is a cerebrovascular disorder affecting the blood vessels that bring blood to the brain . If not taken on time, its effects can be very serious: one in five victims die within a month and one in three suffer from the consequences that make them dependent in everyday life, stroke is the leading cause of physical disability in adults.
The different types of stroke
There are two different types of stroke:
The ischemic stroke or cerebral infarction represent 80% of cases an artery is blocked by a clot, which blocks blood flow;
The hemorrhagic stroke in 20% of cases there is then rupture of an artery , causing intracerebral hemorrhage or a ruptured aneurysm.
Stroke prevention: transient ischemic attacks that should not be overlooked
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a stroke whose sometimes fleeting symptoms go unnoticed. However, they represent real warning signals since almost a third of lasting ischemic attacks or cerebral infarctions are preceded by such an episode .
The symptoms of TIAs are brief and by definition last less than 24 hours:
Paralysis of a limb or side ;
Sudden, unilateral decrease in vision or double vision ;
Sensitivity disorders of a limb or side ;
Language impairment , difficulty speaking;
Balance disturbances ;
Impairment of understanding .
These disorders disappear and leave no sequelae . However, the occurrence of one or more TIAs considerably increases the risk of established , lasting cerebrovascular accidents with disorders lasting beyond 24 hours and which can lead to physical and / or intellectual after-effects. According to the American Heart Association, a person with one or more TIAs is 9.5 times more likely to have a stroke than a person of the same age and sex who has never had one.
Far from neglecting these signs and despite a rapid return to normal, these TIAs constitute an emergency and must lead to consult your doctor as soon as possible.
Some hemorrhagic strokes are preceded by sudden and very intense diffuse cranial pain ( headache ) .
Stroke warning signs: know them to react quickly
The occurrence of a stroke is a real emergency. Knowing the first symptoms makes it possible to react as quickly as possible . The first hours after a stroke are crucial; they can limit the extent of brain damage and thus the severity of the after-effects .
Although symptoms vary depending on the location of the lesion and the size of the affected area , there are some common features that can be seen in the first signs of stroke. Sometimes occurring during sleep, these symptoms can appear abruptly or on the contrary appear within a few minutes or a few hours.
Among the most common symptoms are:
Muscle weakness or numbness in the face, arm, or leg. Frequently, there is paralysis of the arm and leg on the same side (side actually opposite to that of the brain injury);
Visual disturbances that can manifest themselves in different ways: loss of half of the visual field, identical for both eyes (hemianopsia), loss of vision in one eye (amaurosis) or both, or doubling of vision ( diplopia);
Language difficulties resulting in the inability to articulate correctly (dysarthria), inability to speak (aphasia), poor expression or understanding of words;
Loss of sensitivity (contact, heat, pain not perceived) ranging from simple numbness to anesthesia of a part of the body;
Unusual and very severe headache with no apparent cause, accompanied by nausea ;
Loss of balance, falls, dizziness, lack of coordination of movements , etc …;
And sometimes disturbances of consciousness , from drowsiness to coma.
If you or someone close to you has such signs, call for help. The chances of survival and functional recovery depend on the speed of intervention. Stroke should be managed within three hours of the onset of the first symptoms
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