In the article, we will consider first aid at the first signs of a stroke. What is this pathology?
The concept of "stroke" is familiar to almost everyone today. It often happens that this condition occurs in a person suddenly, which can cause very serious consequences, which consist of a variety of different disorders - from the loss of the ability to talk and move to death.
Feature of the disease
The main feature of a stroke is the rate of development of this condition. As soon as it occurs in acute form, resuscitation specialists have only a few hours to save a person’s life. However, in cases where this time is lost, many processes in the human body begin to stop - a person loses consciousness, and death may occur.
In order to help doctors who will fight for the life of the patient, you need to know how to provide first aid for a stroke to a person before the arrival of the ambulance team.
Varieties of Strokes
The causes of strokes are very diverse, and they depend on what kind of stroke occurs in each case of the disease. There are two types of strokes - ischemic and hemorrhagic.
Approximately 80% of all patients have an ischemic type of stroke, and the prognosis is maximally favorable if timely therapy and no aggravating factors are present.
Causes
The causes of the development of both types of strokes are congestion in the circulatory system. In such situations, some vessels completely overlap, and the tissues of the body to which blood entered through them lose oxygen, resulting in their death.
First aid for a stroke before the ambulance arrives is very important.
Similar disturbances of blood flow through the vessels can occur if there are the following reasons:
- thrombosis;
- narrowing of the gaps of large vessels;
- embolism, that is, blockage of one large vessel, when an atherosclerotic plaque becomes an obstacle to blood flow.
Differences of one species from another
The hemorrhagic type of stroke is much less common, and it differs from the ischemic type in that it has a worse prognosis for the patient’s health. In this case, only 15% of all people who have had this type of stroke survive.
Hemorrhagic stroke occurs due to rupture of a certain blood vessel located in the brain. In this case, blood begins to flow uncontrollably into the cavity of the skull, internal hematomas and blood clots are formed, which overlap the lumens of other vessels. After this, the irreversible process of brain necrosis begins, characterized by the death of its parts and the cessation of human activity. First aid for a stroke should be provided in a timely manner.
Stroke Factors
The main factors that contribute to the onset of a particular type of stroke are:
- An increase in blood pressure, which can be triggered by the presence of a variety of diseases, as well as the use of certain medications.
- Bad habits are one of the main factors. Smoking and alcohol are the main causes of thrombosis in the vessels.
- Diabetes.
- A sedentary lifestyle, which is characterized by a decrease in muscle tone, as well as increased pressure.
- Obesity. This problem contributes to the development of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels, which gradually clog their lumen, which in turn is the cause of high blood pressure.
- Severe stress. In people who are often nervous, blood pressure can rise sharply and severe tachycardia can begin.
- Age-related changes in the body. The walls of blood vessels in the elderly are quite worn out, their walls are thinned, so people after 60 years are the main risk group for the development of strokes.
Symptomatology
To provide proper first aid for a stroke, you need to know how this condition manifests itself and what symptoms can be observed in the patient.
Similar signs are divided into two main categories. They are common symptoms that are characteristic of acute brain damage, as well as those that are characteristic of damage to a particular area of the brain.
Common symptoms include:
- severe dizziness and fainting;
- complication of balance;
- weakness;
- epileptic seizure;
- acute nature of headache;
- state of stupor and arousal;
- lack of emotions.
Second group of manifestations
Among the second group of manifestations of a stroke:
- facial expressions change;
- decreased sensitivity in the arms and legs;
- "formication;
- impaired motor function;
- decreased visual activity and others.
All of the above symptoms can be observed both collectively and separately. It often happens that the condition of people who have a stroke is noted as similar to alcohol intoxication.
You may not have time to provide first aid for a stroke before the arrival of an ambulance.
This is the main danger of the development of the negative consequences of such violations, because in cases where a stroke occurs in a person walking along the street, passers-by neglect to help him or call an ambulance, mistakenly believing that the person is drunk.
Ways to quickly recognize stroke symptoms
The first first aid for a stroke will be provided if it is possible to recognize signs of pathology.
There is a certain technique, following which, you can determine the stroke within a few minutes. To do this, carry out the following activities:
- Ask a person to smile. If in this case one side of the mouth remains stationary, this is the main sign of a stroke.
- Ask to extend your arms in front of you and count to ten. In strokes, as a rule, only one arm rises.
- Ask a person to say something. The speech of a citizen who has had a stroke may be completely absent or extremely illegible.
A person affected by a stroke may experience severe dizziness, so this condition can be recognized by a violation of the coordination of movements of the patient. During a stroke, people can also lose sensitivity in certain parts of the body, as a result of which they do not experience pain.
An uncharacteristic headache is another sign of brain damage, therefore, when this symptom appears, it is necessary to play it safe and urgently call a team of doctors, even if the patient believes that everything is in order with him. This measure will help save a person's life.
The importance of first aid for stroke
First aid is the most important stage that should not be missed, and in cases where the symptoms of this condition of a person become apparent, a set of certain measures should be taken before the ambulance arrives. This is also important because brain cells during a stroke die on average in three hours, so you can not lose a minute.
Actions at the time of assistance
For the person who will provide this assistance, there are some basic recommendations. These include:
- Keeping calm. It is very important that someone who is next to the patient does not succumb to panic and does not fuss, as this will prevent him from concentrating and properly organizing care for the patient. To calm down, you can take a deep breath and count to ten. Then you can continue to provide first aid for a stroke.
- In the first minutes of an attack, people near the patient need to urgently call specialists, even in those cases when he has signs of death. First aid will need to be provided after this, while doctors get to their destination.
- The ambulance operator should report the symptoms, as doctors will need to bring along all the necessary equipment or arrive in a special car that has everything necessary for resuscitation.
So, how to provide first aid for a stroke?
Helping a conscious patient
The following actions for the relief of stroke depend on whether the patient is conscious or not. If he is conscious, the following measures must be taken:
- It is very important to make sure that a person calms down and gets distracted, even in those cases when he cannot move and speak. However, if he ceases to be nervous, his pulse will not increase, which is also very important in the development of the disease. In this case, the patient must be informed that the ambulance will arrive soon and nothing threatens his life. You need to talk with a person calmly, without raising your voice and not showing your anxiety.
- A person affected by a stroke must be laid on his back on a flat surface and slightly raised his lower limbs, which will contribute to the normalization of blood circulation.
- If the patient is in the room, it is necessary to open the windows in order to ensure free breathing and oxygen to the body.
- In no case should you give a person food and drink, as well as medicine. Even if medications are available at hand for heart attacks and headaches, it is strictly contraindicated to use them without the recommendation of a specialist.
- If there is a tonometer nearby, you need to measure the patient’s blood pressure, and in cases where it is very high, you need to give him a drug that lowers blood pressure.
- If you don’t have pressure-reducing medicines for first aid for a stroke at hand, it can be reduced by applying heat to the legs and cold to the lower jaw.
Pressure reduction
It is very important to reduce the pressure, because when it is raised to critical levels, there is a huge risk of rupture of blood vessels and the separation of a blood clot, which threatens the patient with a fatal outcome.
While waiting for a team of doctors, it is necessary to carefully monitor the patient's condition, and in case of vomiting, as a frequent sign of strokes, it is necessary to turn him on his side and keep his head in a semi-vertical position. What else is first aid for a stroke at home?
Helping a patient who is unconscious
The procedure for providing first aid to a person during a stroke, which is in an unconscious state, differs from that undertaken in cases when the patient is conscious.
The following activities are required:
- Breath test. It is possible to determine whether a person is breathing by the characteristic movements of the chest, or by raising the hand to the airways in cases where the patient’s breathing is impaired.
- Heart rate check. This procedure is carried out by applying fingers to the carotid artery in the neck.
- In the absence of breathing, urgent need to begin resuscitation. To do this, it is necessary to clean the airways by wrapping the fingers with clean cloth, after which you need to open the patient’s mouth and release it from anything that interferes with normal breathing, for example, during a stroke, the tongue often drops and needs to be removed immediately. First aid for a stroke is not limited to this.
- The next event will be a pericardial stroke - a specific imitation of electroshock, when the heart is launched through a sharp concussion of the chest. The procedure is carried out in the position of the patient lying on his back.
- Next, indirect cardiac massage should be used. To do this, it is necessary to settle down to the right of the patient, put a palm on the central part of the chest, after which sharp pressure is applied with straight hands. At the same time, you need to lean on your hands with your whole body, and it is very important to make these movements without stopping for three minutes. The algorithm of first aid for stroke should be known to everyone.
- If the patient has started the breathing process, it is necessary to immediately stop resuscitation, as this can again stop the heart. In cases where breathing is not restored, and there is no pulse, these measures should be continued until an ambulance arrives.
- Artificial respiration. This event should be carried out by another person, if there is one nearby, so that the procedures are carried out simultaneously, if there is no such person, it is recommended to continue doing heart massage. To make a person artificial respiration, it is necessary to tilt his head up and start pumping air from mouth to mouth. The frequency of such pumping should be - one in two seconds.
If the patient's lips are pink and he is breathing, this means that the resuscitation measures were carried out correctly.
We examined how to provide first aid for a stroke at home.