BENGALURU: In recent decades, work-related stress and unhealthy food habits have altered our lifestyle, leading to various kinds of medical complications and illnesses. Stroke, which is one of the major causes of adult disability and death in the world.
In India, one-fifth of stroke patients are around 40 years or less. Due to the functional impairments it can cause, 20 per cent of all stroke patients require institutional care for about 3 months and 15-30 per cent end up being permanently disabled.
Stroke occurs when the supply of blood to the brain is either interrupted or reduced. This is a life-threatening medical condition as the interruption of blood flow deprives the brain of required oxygen and causes the affected brain cells to die. It has to be treated immediately, the sooner a person receives treatment the lesser damage is likely to happen.
Symptoms of stroke
■ Weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg on one side of the body
■ Loss of vision or blurry sight in one or both eyes
■ Difficulty talking or understanding what others are saying
■ Severe headache with no known cause
■ Loss of balance
The F.A.S.T test is a four-point examination which can help determine if a person is suffering from stroke.
‘F’ stands for face: The first step is to check the face by asking the person to smile and observing if the facial muscles are drooping
‘A’ which is to check the arms: The person is asked to lift arms and observe if they are able to do it or if one arm is drifting downwards.
‘S’ stands for speech difficulty: The person is asked to try and repeat a simple sentence, it helps notice if the speech is slurring.
‘T’ is for timely intervention: It is very important for effective treatment.
If the patient shows any of the symptoms during the F.A.S.T test, he/she needs immediate treatment.
Manifestation and Treatment
Once the symptoms of stroke begin to manifest, it is vital for the patient to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
The first three hours from the moment of the onset of symptoms is referred to as the golden hour or golden time. As of late, this window of time has been stretched to four and a half hours. Every minute there is a delay in treatment, the possibility of irreversible damage to the nerve cells increases. Hence, the survival of the patient and degree of the stroke depends on the patient receiving medical treatment within these crucial hours.
Ideally, the patient should reach a hospital within the first two hours as tests and scans could take another hour. In the scenario that the patient doesn’t receive support within the golden hour, he/she could have paralysis, issues with vision, lopsidedness of walk, memory loss, speech problems etc. In some cases, stroke can even lead to death.
Prevention
Prevention of stroke can be done by making some lifestyles changes. Avoiding alcohol consumption and smoking, maintaining a healthy body, having a controlled diet by controlling the intake of cholesterol and triglycerides, keeping a check on blood pressure and diabetes, regularly exercising and managing stress are some of the basic measures one can take to prevent stroke.
By Dr. PR Krishnan,
Consultant Neurologist
at Fortis Hospitals, Bangalore