Here is how to spot and prevent a stroke

Every year, October 29 is observed as World Stroke Day, which is an attempt to raise awareness about the silent killer.

For representational purposes

HYDERABAD: Every year, October 29 is observed as World Stroke Day, which is an attempt to raise awareness about the silent killer. Brain stroke is one of the most dreaded non-communicable diseases in the world and is the third most leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Here’s all you need to know to keep the condition at bay

Causes

• Reduced blood supply to the brain or leakage of blood from blood vessels. This happens when blood vessels turn friable, as a result of underlying risk factors

Common risk factors 
High BP, diabetes, smoking, alcohol, drugs, obesity, cardiac problems and genetic factors

Symptoms

• Sudden onset of weakness of limbs, facial deviation, difficulty in speaking, walking, vomiting and sudden loss of consciousness
• However, sometimes even without any of these symptoms, patients can suffer silent strokes due to reduced blood supply to the brain. This results in small clots in different parts of the brain, which can be diagnosed upon careful examination
• Strokes can also make themselves manifest through headaches, loss of dexterity in fingers, numbness of body, memory impairment, slowness of activities and abnormal gait. These symptoms could progress over months. Some people could undergo cognitive decline too

Similar conditions

• Amyloid angiopathy 

This is another condition where the patient will have progressive symptoms such as memory loss and cognitive impairment, with multiple microbleeds in the brain. 

• CADASIL

The patient will have similar silent ischemia, which will not manifest itself in the early stages

Who is prone

• All those above 40 years, and all above 30 years who smoke and consume alcohol and drugs, should check their BP and glucose levels frequently
• If any abnormality is seen in either of the two, the person should begin doing physical exercises regularly and change their dietary habits, apart from taking medicines
• When in doubt, it is best to check carotid vessels using Doppler technology to identify any excessive cholesterol deposits in the blood vessels

Act on time

• At the slightest possibility of a major stroke, the person should be taken to a local hospital and undergo a brain scan. If any infarction is detected, it is possible to lyse the clot with clot buster drugs. In some cases, a stent can be inserted in the large blood vessels

(Dr Naveen Kumar Venigalla, consultant neuro physician, Kamineni Health Care Pvt Ltd)