An acute violation of cerebral circulation, which leads to persistent damage to a part of the brain, can be hemorrhagic or ischemic type and most often manifests itself suddenly. If you suspect a stroke, what should I do? To refute or confirm the diagnosis, a CT scan of the brain is done to the patient. If a hemorrhagic variety is not detected, then the patient is sent for MRI, since with ischemia this type of hardware study is more informative. It is important to clearly diagnose the type of disorder, since the tactics of further treatment will depend on this. If necessary, angiography, ultrasound of the brain vessels and other types of studies are carried out, including laboratory ones.
brief information
The pathological condition that occurs in the cellular tissue of the brain due to a malfunction in blood flow is a stroke. As a result, nerve cells die, which is manifested by neurological symptoms. What to do if a person has a stroke? The faster highly qualified help is provided, the higher the chances of survival and a fulfilling life. Stroke is ischemic (blockage of blood vessels) and hemorrhagic (rupture of blood vessels). In the first case, this is no more than six hours, when pharmacotherapy can stop ischemic necrosis of neurons and irreversible destructive processes for the brain. The latter requires an immediate response. It is necessary to deliver the victim to a hospital type facility as soon as possible.
First suspicions
Consider the first signs of a stroke and what to do to make sure of them. Medical professionals recommend that symptoms such as:
- sharp visual impairment;
- dizziness;
- a distorted or numb face;
- numbness or weakness in the lower and upper extremities on the one hand;
- loss of ability to speak;
- loss of reading and writing skills.
To confirm suspicions of a circulatory disturbance, you must ask the victim to take a test and carefully observe how he will perform the following actions: try to smile, extend both arms and hold for several seconds, say “thirty three”. If even one task is not completed, you should immediately call a specialized neurological team by calling 103 or 03.
While the ambulance is traveling, what should I do at home?
In case of a stroke, before the doctors arrive, it is recommended:
- Give the individual a horizontal position, laying him on high pillows. If the patient has an epileptic seizure, then it cannot be tolerated.
- If possible, free from tight clothing - remove a tight belt, belt, unfasten the collar. Open the window or window for air flow.
- Measure the pressure, at high rates the patient needs to take a medicine that he uses constantly. If in doubt, do not give the drug, but lower the lower limbs into hot water.
- With a short-term loss of consciousness, accompanied by convulsions, the individual should turn to one side with a pillow or a roller under his head. It is imperative to hold the head with your hands and constantly remove the foam that is released from the mouth, preventing it from entering the respiratory tract. Between the teeth, insert a stick or spoon wrapped in cloth so that the patient does not bite his tongue during a seizure.
If you have a stroke, what to do before the arrival of health workers, you now know. In addition, it is important not to use vasodilator drugs in the acute period of cerebrovascular accident - Drotaverin, Nicotinic acid. Their action is aimed at the expansion of blood vessels in intact areas of the brain, which exacerbates oxygen starvation in the affected vessels.
Signs of an approaching stroke
In order to know what to do at the first sign of a stroke, it is necessary to recognize its approach in time. The harbingers of the disease make themselves felt long before its onset. The following are symptoms that appear periodically and then disappear without a trace:
- An individual in movement and in equilibrium loses coordination, as well as a landmark around himself.
- Dizziness - occurs suddenly due to a lack of blood in the brain.
- Severe sudden headache - usually stress or excessive physical activity precedes the attack.
- Initially, weakness is observed in one of the parts of the body, turning into numbness. It affects the left or right half of the body.
- Suddenly, visual acuity in one or both eyes worsens.
- Stiffness of facial expressions, speech impairment.
At risk are hypertensive patients, individuals diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, heart and vascular diseases, with high cholesterol, as well as overweight.
The difference between stroke in women and men
In order to know what to do with the signs of a stroke, it is advisable to have information about the difference between this ailment in different sexes. It was previously believed that this disease affects individuals in the age category older than sixty years. However, men after forty are already at risk. In recent decades, a female is diagnosed with a stroke more often, and at the age of eighteen to forty years, in contrast to the opposite sex. The probability of cerebrovascular accident is higher in expectant mothers. This phenomenon is due to the fact that young people often ignore the first symptoms, as they quickly pass away, and do not turn to specialists. It is proved that a smaller part of women returns to their previous life rhythm after a disease. The early symptoms, especially atypical for this pathology, differ in women and men. The likelihood of a stroke increases by about twenty-two percent in smoking women over the age of thirty, as well as those taking hormonal contraceptives. Moreover, the administration of oral contraceptives provokes a severe ischemic stroke.
Unbalanced persons, as well as those who are constantly obsessed with any problems, are more prone to cerebrovascular accident. Possession of this information will not allow you to overlook the onset of the disease and will turn to specialists for help in a timely manner.
Atypical signs of a stroke
In order not to get confused and know what to do if a person has a stroke, we will familiarize ourselves with his atypical clinic:
- pain in the sternum;
- dry mouth
- increased heart rate;
- headache;
- sharp pain in one half of the face or body;
- difficulty breathing
- dyspnea;
- hiccups;
- weakness;
- loss of orientation;
- nausea;
- confusion.
Often this picture is observed at the very beginning of the disease, in connection with which the diagnosis of a stroke is difficult, and the help of doctors is late.
In addition, the symptoms in both sexes depend on the affected part of the brain: in the left - signs are observed in the right half of the body and vice versa, if in the right - then the changes affect the organs located on the left.
In the acute stage of the disease, about thirty percent of individuals die, more than half of those who die die during the first year, ten percent become disabled, and only twenty return to their normal lives. Here is such disappointing statistics.
First aid for a stroke. What do we have to do?
The effectiveness of therapy depends on how quickly the diagnosis is made and the necessary treatment is prescribed. Often people close to the victim are far from medicine, and the insidiousness of the disease lies in its rapid development. The best help is to call a specialist by calling the ambulance dispatcher and try to clearly describe the symptoms. There was a stroke, what should I do? First aid involves the following manipulations:
- Give the victim a reclined position by raising his shoulders and head. Thanks to this pose, the risk of cerebral edema is reduced.
- Ensure free breathing, free from tight clothing, remove the belt, belt or tie.
- Exclude food, water, and medication.
- When vomiting, turn your head to the side, and after its completion, clean the oral cavity.
- If the individual has lost consciousness, but there are no breathing problems, then turn him to one side so that his head rests on his hand and is slightly inclined forward. Bend the leg at a slight angle so that he could not roll over.
- If the victim does not breathe, then only a trained person is allowed to do artificial respiration and indirect heart massage.
- Upon arrival of the ambulance, tell in detail and clearly what happened, as the patient’s condition in the first minutes and hours is very important. The prognosis of the disease depends on this.
With a stroke, it is necessary to quickly deliver the individual to a medical institution. And timely assistance before the arrival of specialists from others will probably save the victim’s life.
What does an ambulance do with a stroke? In this case, medical workers deliver the patient immediately to the diagnostic, bypassing the admission department. This moment is very important not to miss precious time and to conduct adequate treatment in a timely manner.
Therapy for Ischemic Stroke
Therapy consists of several stages. At pre-hospital - assistance is provided before the arrival of the medical team. The patient is given a horizontal position and slightly raise their head, provide free breathing, conduct resuscitation measures (if necessary). The start of treatment should be carried out in the first six hours, as soon as in this case it is possible to minimize complications. During this time, the focus of necrosis will not have time to form. Therefore, the patient should be taken to the hospital as soon as possible.
Hospital - a basic and specific treatment for stroke. What to do at this stage? During this period, the following manipulations are performed:
- temperature control;
- heart activity support;
- monitoring breathing functions;
- decrease in cerebral edema;
- normalization of water-electrolyte metabolism;
- pressure sores prevention;
- measures aimed at preventing the occurrence of complications due to impaired mobility.
Applying specific therapy, they directly eliminate the cause of the formation of a stroke and restore neurons:
- Thrombolysis - special medicines are introduced that dissolve a blood clot. Such manipulation is effective only in the first six hours from the onset of the ailment.
- Prevents the growth of blood clots and helps prevent their use of anticoagulants. However, their use is prohibited in liver and kidney pathologies, ulcerative lesions of the stomach, uncontrolled hypertension, and also if the stroke has affected most of the middle cerebral artery.
- To inhibit the abnormal chain of neurochemical interactions, neuroprotectors are used.
At the recovery stage, nootropics, amino acids and vasoactive drugs are shown. Mandatory massage, physiotherapy exercises. These measures contribute to the prevention of thrombosis, pressure sores, as well as the restoration of motor skills.
In the rehabilitation departments of multidisciplinary healthcare institutions or in sanatoriums, in addition to taking medications, physiotherapy, mud therapy, massage, physiotherapy exercises are indicated, i.e. at the rehabilitation stage, intensive recovery after an ischemic stroke is carried out.
What to do at the dispensary stage? This is an outpatient period, which involves regular monitoring by a neurologist, taking medications, constantly performing physical exercises, and physiotherapy courses. Thus, at this stage, measures are taken to eliminate the consequences of neurological disorders.
How to care for the sick?
What to do with a stroke at home? After cerebrovascular accident, individuals need care, both during the acute period of the disease, and at the rehabilitation stage. In some cases, when the patient does not recover memory, speech, consciousness and motor functions, you will have to take care of him constantly.
The physical condition depends on the type of stroke. In the acute phase of the disease, patients are basically immobilized, so care consists of preventive measures aimed at preventing the formation of blood clots, pressure sores and congestive pneumonia. An individual should be rotated every hundred and twenty minutes from one side to another. In addition, it is necessary to treat the dermis with special means, use diapers (if necessary) or absorbent diapers. It is advisable to purchase an anti-decubitus mattress for the patient after a stroke. What to do to prevent diaper rash? It is washed daily.
If a person does not have a swallowing function and he is conscious, then before feeding him they raise his head or give him a semi-sitting position. In other cases, power is supplied through a probe. After eating, remove food debris from the oral cavity. If the lips dry, they are regularly moistened with water. Be sure to monitor the stool, if necessary, use laxatives, for example, "Dufalac" or do an enema.
Home Recovery
Rehabilitation is a rather long period that will require both the individual and his relatives patience and hard work. All forces must be directed to the maximum recovery of the body after a stroke. What to do at home, how to help the patient? Such a question is often asked to the doctor. Recovery is carried out in several directions:
- Psychological - adaptation to new living conditions. The support of loved ones is very important. Especially when a person is not able to speak, write, read normally. In some cases, doctors recommend a course of treatment with antidepressants, as well as communication with a psychologist, both the patient and relatives.
- Speech - classes with a speech therapist, that is, the individual learns to speak, read and write again. These skills can be fully restored or partially. The result depends on the degree of brain damage.
- Restoration of movements - a whole range of measures is used, including physiotherapy, physiotherapy exercises. The latter begins with passive gymnastics, i.e. when a specialist or relative moves the limbs and body. After a certain time, the patient is allowed to perform movements. In addition, he is taught to walk, eat, wash, etc.
- Prevention of complications is massage, acupuncture and magnetotherapy, heat therapy, fixation bandages on joints and more.
The degree of revival of lost functions depends not only on the severity of the disease, but also on properly rendered first aid, associated pathologies, age, and also the rehabilitation period. After reading the article, you now know the first symptoms of a stroke and what to do when faced with such a problem.