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Ischemic stroke

What is Ischemic stroke?

An Ischemic Stroke is caused by bleeding in the brain, or is a stroke that prevents blood from reaching the brain. This causes a lack of oxygen to brain cells which results in brain death. The patient needs to see a doctor immediately. Urgent treatment is very important because it reduces the degree of brain death, reduces other complications, and can prevent disability.

There are 3 types of strokes.

Cerebral artery narrowing or blockage (Ischemic stroke) Ischemic stroke is common in 85% of strokes.
Haemorrhagic stroke is found in about 15% of strokes.
Transient Ischemic Attack (in some patients) (TIA)

A momentary ischemic stroke (TIA) is a stroke, but it doesn’t last long (less than 24 hours) and then improves on its own. The cause of a TIA is that the brain does not have enough blood supply for a temporary period of time. Most symptoms last 5-15 minutes and then improve on their own.

However, the patient should see a doctor immediately to distinguish between a stroke and a transient ischemic stroke.

Causes of stroke

high blood pressure
heart disease
obesity
diabetes
hyperlipidaemia
smoking and drinking alcohol
lack of physical activity

Symptoms of stroke :

Weakness in the face, loss of ability to control the face causing the corners of the mouth to fall, or the mouth to become crooked.
Numbness, weakness in one side of the arms and legs, sudden loss of ability to walk. Inability to stabilize.
Confusion, loss of ability to speak. Can’t think of words.
Vision problems such as double vision and blurred vision.
Severe headache.

When it is thought that you are facing a stroke, patients and relatives should adhere to the following "FAST" practices.

F – Face : Observe the face while smiling, whether the corners of the mouth are falling or the mouth is crooked while smiling.
A – Arms : Observe the ability to lift both arms, whether they can be lifted at the same height or if one of the arms falls or there is no arm lift.
S – Speech : Ask simple questions that patients are likely to answer. Listen to the patient’s speech to see if they can speak clearly or are confused in answering questions.
T – Time : If any of these symptoms occur, seek medical attention immediately.

Factors that increase risk :

Uncontrolled hypertension
Excessive anticoagulant treatment
Cerebral aneurysm or arteriovenous malformation
History of injury accident
Abnormal protein deposits in the walls of blood vessels (cerebral amyloidosis)
Risk factors related to lifestyle habits:
Obesity: Eating foods that are high in fat and high in sodium such as salty foods, Ready-to-eat foods, processed foods
Smoking or continuous exposure to tobacco smoke
Drinking alcohol
Substance abuse

Congenital diseases and disorders of blood vessels that supply the brain.

High blood pressure
High cholesterol fat (LDL High)
Diabetes
Sleep apnoea
Heart disease such as atrial fibrillation, heart failure, infective endocarditis
Severe carotid or vertebral stenosis
Polycythaemia vera or essential thrombocytosis
Thrombophilia
Congenital vascular diseases such as Moyamoya, Cerebral autosomal dominant and subcortical leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL)
Carotid or vertebral artery dissection

Other factors that may increase the risk of stroke:

Age — Seniors aged 55 or older are at higher risk of developing the disease than young people.
Ethnicity— African-Americans are at a higher risk of stroke than other races.
Gender — Males are at higher risk than females for stroke, but females tend to stroke as they age, and stroke mortality rates are higher among females than males.
Family members with a history of stroke

Today, we can all take care of our health to prevent getting sick with ischemic stroke, and know before treatment with regular health check-ups at least annually by blood test/health check-up.