Are the permanent disabilities of stroke preventable? – Find out!

WHO 2017 statistics show stroke deaths in Malaysia at 15,642, accounts for 11.31% of total deaths whereas the data for Singapore is 1,806 deaths or 7.38%.  Why is stroke such a dreaded disease? Why do people fear it so much? Read on to find out the nitty-gritty details of stroke and whether it is possible to prevent the disabilities of stroke. Want to know how? Read on….

What is a Stroke?

A stroke is a “brain attack”. It can happen to anyone, at any time. This happens when blood flow to a particular area of the brain is cut off. When this occurs, oxygen is cut off from brain cells and they begin to die. When the brain cells die during a stroke, all those abilities controlled by that affected area of the brain, for example, memory, muscle control are lost. This is basically what happens during a stroke.

The level of damage or how much a person is affected by the stroke attack depends on location of the occurrence of the stroke in the brain and how much damage the brain has suffered. For example, if someone who had a small stroke may only have minor problems such as temporary weakness of an arm or leg. People who have larger strokes may be permanently paralysed on one side of their body or lose the ability to speak. Some patients are able to recover completely, however, more than two-thirds of the survivors are seen to have some type of disabilities of stroke!

Are strokes preventable?

Yes, they are preventable and can be treated if the patient is able to get help immediately. As mentioned above, stroke occurs when some brain cells die because they have been stripped or blocked from oxygen and nutrients that are essential for their function. This blockage can either be caused by a clot (and this condition is called an ischaemic stroke), or when a blood vessel bursts causing bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). And within minutes, brain cells begin to die.

Immediate or rather prompt medical treatment can put a stop to the death of brain cells, thereby preventing permanent disability. In fact, stroke is known to be the leading cause of long-term disability.

Also see article “Stroke: Acting F.A.S.T. Matters” on recognising early warning signs of stroke

What happens after a stroke? What are the long-term disabilities of stroke?

Following a stroke, what happens depend on the area of the brain and the extent of damage. In general, the main aftermath results in these 5 disabilities of stroke:

1. Paralysis or problem with motor control
2. Sensory disturbances including pain
3. Problems using or understanding language
4. Problems with thinking and memory
5. Emotional disturbances

Can a patient be rehabilitated after a stroke attack?

Yes, definitely. The main aim of rehabilitation is to help survivors become as independent as possible and to attain the best possible quality of life. Rehabilitation does not necessarily “cure” the disabilities of stroke i.e, it does not reverse the brain damage, rehabilitation can definitely help survivors achieve at least a fairly substantial long-term outcome.

Overcoming the disabilities of stroke

Rehabilitation aids stroke survivors relearn the skills that they lost when the stroke occurred. These include skills such as coordinating leg movements to walk or carrying out the steps to perform a complex activity. It also teaches survivors new ways of performing tasks to work around any small disabilities. Individuals may need to learn how to bathe and dress using only one hand, or how to communicate effectively when their ability to use language has been compromised. Practice and repetition plays a huge role in successful rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation is possible

There are programs designed to help stroke survivors regain their independence through building self confidence, improving mood and motivation.

Who specialises in post-stroke rehabilitation?

You can consult physicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, as well as vocational therapists and mental health professionals.

When can a stroke patient begin rehabilitation?

The process of rehabilitation needs to begin as soon as a stroke patient becomes stable, this can be within 24-48 hours after a stroke. The first step in the process of rehabilitation can take place in an acute-care hospital; however, it depends on the health status of the patient as advised by the physician.

How can we prevent a stroke from occurring?

While certain risk factors such as age, gender, race, family history etc cannot be changed, there are six important risk factors for stroke that YOU can control, with the help of your doctor. At least 80% of total stroke cases can be prevented by controlling or treating these risk factors:

1. Control high blood pressure (hypertension) – Making certain lifestyle changes such as maintaining healthy weight, BMI, eating healthy food, avoiding added salt, salty foods, processed meats can help.
2. Quit smoking – This is a no-brainer
3. Prevent heart disease – Eating more green, leafy vegetables, avoiding red meat can help prevent heart disease
4. Control cholesterol – Eating foods with healthy cholesterol is vital
5. Prevent or manage diabetes – Maintaining an active lifestyle is key and it also includes avoiding sugar in any form as much as possible helps.

Paying attention to TIAs

TIAs or transient ischaemic attacks are brief/short episodes of stroke – warning signs that disappear after a few minutes. These transient attacks happens due to temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain. These are important warning signs for a patient to possibly have a major stroke attack in the near future.

What are the symptoms of TIAs?

TIAs are usually called mini strokes or warning strokes. The symptoms are actually the same as those for a major stroke and these include:

• Weakness or numbness in the face, arm or leg and typically on one side of the body; you may notice the patient’s mouth droop on one side
• Slurred or garbled speech
• Difficulty understanding others
• Blindness or double vision in one or both eyes
• Dizziness or loss of balance; loss of coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no apparent cause
• Drowsiness
• Nausea or vomiting

These symptoms last only for a few minutes in case of a TIA; however, the symptoms last longer when it is a major stroke attack. In fact, the risk of major stroke attack is greatly increased in the first 30 days following a mini stroke attack. It is also important to note that most people do not necessarily have mini stroke symptoms before a major stroke.

Strokes in Women

In the case of women, a stroke may strike differently.  Women may also have hiccups with unusual chest pain, sometimes accompanied with numbness in the entire body that can be more severe on one side – as per National Institutes of Health.

Some additional risk factors that can increase a woman’s risk of stroke include:

• Pregnancy (especially during the final trimester and also immediately after delivery)
• Usage of birth-control pills or hormone replacement therapy
• Lupus
• Migraine headaches.

Incidentally, strokes strike more women than men.

Conclusion

Lastly, the most important point is this – the faster a stroke victim get medical help the higher the chances of successful treatment. Given timely medical intervention is vital in avoiding a lifelong disability as well as greatly improving a patient’s  chances of recovery.

Call the emergency ambulance right away, with no time to waste. The window for effective stroke treatment is very small, in fact for ischaemic strokes, the window is within 90 mins from time of attack till a firm diagnosis at the Emergency room and subsequent stroke treatment.

References:

AFMC 

NIH

https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com

Want more information on stroke and how you can prevent it? Talk to a doctor. You can search, find, call, send enquiry or request for appointment with a Neurologist on GetDoc:

Find a Neurologist in Malaysia, on GetDoc

Find a Neurologist in Singapore, on GetDoc

Tags

• disabilities of stroke
• prevention of stroke
• stroke