One of the main causes of death in Russia is a stroke of the brain. The consequences of such a disease are extremely unfavorable, up to a fatal outcome. Causes - damage to blood vessels due to improper lifestyle and stress. If you are a smoker and overweight, it is worth considering and taking steps to avoid becoming a stroke survivor.
Stroke - what is it? And are the consequences for the victims really so deplorable? We will explain in detail the answers to these and many other questions.
Stroke
Although people of all ages are susceptible to the disease, the most common attack occurs in those who are over 60 years old. The risk increases if a person smokes or eats a lot of junk food - fast food.
If the victim within 4 hours after an attack receives qualified assistance directly in the hospital, then the chances of success in treatment are high. This is the period of the therapeutic "window", when timely measures save lives and prevent even moresevere damage to the synapses of the brain. Then the patient, if he was young and he althy before, after a while can fully return to a full-fledged active life and even work.
But many, unfortunately, do not understand how serious a stroke is, and do not go to the ambulance soon after the attack. Therefore, the majority of survivors (almost 75%) remain wheelchair-bound to the last.
Types of stroke. Consequences
Stroke distinguish between hemorrhagic and ischemic and subarachnoid hemorrhage. All of them are very dangerous and subsequently lead to a clear deterioration in he alth. A person becomes weaker, works, if he can, then not for long and not at full strength. Hemorrhagic is more serious and more likely to result in disability of the affected person. Death occurs in 33% of cases. Ischemic stroke (IS) accounts for almost 75% of cases. Its mortality rate is approximately 15%.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage occurs mainly after traumatic brain injury or with a disease such as vascular aneurysm. Then the blood from the vessels pours into the space between the soft membranes of the brain and the arachnoid (arachnoid) membrane. Mortality with such a stroke is the highest - 50% of victims.
Ischemic stroke. Reasons
AI is caused by blockage of brain vessels. In most cases, blockage of the main arteries occurs due to improper diet and lack of exercise. Cholesterol plaques build up on the arteries gradually, and the less space left, the worse the blood flow to the brain.
Accordingly, the body works worse and gets tired quickly. The immediate cause, in addition to atherosclerosis, is sometimes diabetes or heart problems.
When complete blockage occurs, oxygen completely stops flowing to the brain tissues. And brain cells - neurons, by the way, are very sensitive to a lack of oxygen, and immediately begin to die. After a while, the clot resolves, but these few minutes of lack of nutrition in the tissues are enough to start irreversible changes in the structure of the brain. If the clot is serious and cannot resolve naturally, the artery cannot withstand and bursts.
With an ischemic stroke, the consequences are: coma, paralysis of one part of the body or both, immobility of the head, vision problems and aphasia - the inability to speak. Aphasia occurs when the temporal lobes of the brain are affected. If the back of the head is affected, blindness occurs. Very rarely, a person is affected by the cerebellum, which is responsible for the coordination of movements and walking.
Hemorrhagic stroke
Another type of stroke is hemorrhagic. With this stroke, hematomas occur, which must be removed surgically as soon as possible. The risk of death from this stroke is higher than from ischemic, and the consequences are even more serious. Often it is a direct consequence of an ischemic stroke, when the walls of blood vessels cannot withstand blood pressure.
Such a hemorrhage is characterized by the fact that the vessels rupture sharply and the bloodhits the fabric directly.
There are several types of cerebral hemorrhages:
- subarachnoid;
- subdural;
- intracerebral;
- intraventricular.
Ruptures of blood vessels often occur in those suffering from aneurysms of blood vessels, hypertension or those who smoke too much. Excessive physical or psychological stress also affects and can even cause a stroke in young people 20-30 years old.
Stroke of the left hemisphere of the brain. Consequences
So, the vessels failed, and as a result the cells of the left side of the brain were damaged. What does it threaten? What will the person feel?
- May have trouble understanding speech or find it difficult to pronounce words.
- Difficulties with counting, a person may lose the ability to logical constructions.
- Paralysis of the right side of the body.
- Changes in the psyche are increasing - excessive caution, depression.
Paralysis is most often irreversible. You can support the body, exercise, work with a psychologist. But after a stroke, especially a severe extensive one, there is practically no chance of a full recovery.
Right hemisphere and brainstem
When a brain stroke occurred in the right lobe, the consequences are as follows:
- paralysis (complete or partial) of the left side;
- blind spots appear in the eyes on the left;
- impulsivity and emotional instability as manifestations of mental disorders;
- problems with orientation in space.
Here, the consequences also depend on whetherwhich part of the hemisphere the blockage (or hemorrhage) occurred - in the frontal, parietal temporal or occipital. If the brain stem itself is affected, where the deep zones responsible for breathing, pressure, swallowing food and heartbeat are localized.
These areas are the most protected. Nevertheless, a strong hemorrhagic stroke (its consequences are unpredictable) can affect deep zones too. This threatens with instant lethal outcome.
Major stroke
With extensive AI, there are many areas of damage. At the same time, several areas of the brain or one, but a large and important area, remain without oxygen. Affected neurons die within a few minutes, and the remaining neurons do not have time to replace their functions. That is why this damage to the brain vessels is so dangerous.
How does a massive stroke manifest itself? Consequences, chances of recovery - these questions torment relatives. In fact, the consequences are very difficult to predict. The most fatal is a hemorrhagic massive stroke. The death toll is over 80%. Accordingly, statistics give small chances of survival - only 20%.
The prognosis worsens if the patient has already had a micro-stroke or hypertensive crises before; has diabetes mellitus. The situation is worse if the patient does not like sports and has a negative attitude. Conversely, an active lifestyle and a positive mood contribute to a faster recovery.
Risk group
Hypertension and arrhythmia are most at risk for people over 55 years of age. And also those who haveof whom in the family older relatives suffered a stroke or died because of this disease. The disease itself is not inherited, but relatives may have a predisposition to hemorrhages.
All smokers and heavy drinkers are also at risk. If a person has diabetes or hypertension, you need to constantly monitor the pressure and gradually switch to a he althy diet.
In 12% of cases, after the first stroke, a second attack, more severe, may follow. Therefore, it is better for those at risk to check their vessels in advance and find out what condition they are in in order to take security measures in time.
Cerebral thrombi in the elderly
Ischemic stroke is more common in older people. Approximately 35% of people die in the acute period, and another 10-12% die within one year.
What are the chances of recovery? What are the consequences? Certainly unfavorable. Those who suffered from cerebrovascular accident at a young age have very good chances. In addition, the modern level of medicine allows you to quickly operate on a person and eliminate a blood clot so that the blood circulates again.
The most deplorable consequences of a stroke in old age are complete paralysis, heart failure and death.
However, those old people who throughout their lives have never smoked and eat more or less right, suffer a stroke much easier. After a properly organized rehabilitation, they learn to walk again and soonback to normal.
Treatment during the therapeutic window
How to help the victim if the ambulance has not yet arrived? The main thing, if a person fell, is to immediately put him on his side. In case of vomiting, he will not suffocate in this position. Lay the victim in such a way that the neck and head are exactly at the same level. Open all windows in the building. The patient is oxygenated and needs more fresh air. Oxygenation is the saturation of the entire body with the necessary oxygen.
If the person is conscious and asks for water, do not give water, as some patients sometimes have difficulty swallowing.
The choice of treatment methods is influenced by the age of the victim, the presence of concomitant serious diseases and the amount of damage in the brain. If no more than 4 hours have passed after IS, then intravenous administration of alteplase is performed. In the first 48 hours, acetylsalicylic acid is sometimes prescribed as an antiplatelet agent.
After a hemorrhagic stroke, the consequences are very life-threatening, so within a few hours you need to open the skull and remove the hematomas.
Mechanical thrombectomy is used as a surgical treatment for blood clots. It makes sense to perform the operation if no more than 8 hours have passed since the blockage of the artery.
Sometimes a hemicraniectomy is performed. This treatment gives good results and a high percentage of survivors after surgery for 80 days.
Stroke. Effects. Recovery of victims
After a stroke patientwas discharged from the hospital, he was put on a course of rehabilitation in a special center. A stroke of the brain, the consequences of which can be mild, is still a very dangerous disease. If you do not follow, as expected, the patient's condition after a stroke, the second and even third stroke can "finish off" the patient. Therefore, the patient needs to do some exercises, work with a speech therapist if there is aphasia.
And you also need to make sure that bedsores do not form, and to prevent muscle contractures when a person is completely immobilized. But if, after a relatively mild ischemic stroke, the consequences did not greatly affect motor activity, then there is a chance to recover quickly.
Several methods have been developed to restore normal mobility:
- Reflexotherapy - prescribed for spastic hemiparesis.
- Exarta technology. It combines sensorimotor training and neuromuscular activation.
- PNF method. Classes help distribute the load on the muscles, relieve spastic pain. The method improves posture and coordination of movements of the victim.
- Kinesthetics - helping patients to regain lost movement opportunities. Re-learning simple skills of moving arms, elbows, feet.
Kinesitherapy is the main method of rehabilitation of ischemic stroke. Consequences after exercise are quickly reduced to a minimum. With its help, a person will eventually be able to provide for himself in an apartment, cook and clean up after himself.
A common method of restoring mobility abroad is ergotherapy. This method is similar to occupational therapy, but more effective. In Russia, only some expensive rehabilitation centers offer such classes.
Exercise therapy and nutrition in the post-rehabilitation period
Without doctor-controlled physical activity, the patient's condition will worsen. It is necessary that the muscles work at least a little, blood circulation in the tissues does not worsen. Relatives of the patient quickly need to decide on a center where they will take care of their loved ones during this period. It is best to contact those centers where there is a specialized technique for restoring walking, qualified neuropsychologists work.
Now let's talk about the main stage of treatment for the consequences of a stroke. During the year, while the main recovery period lasts, you need to make every effort for your recovery. Memory and speech need to be trained daily with a neuropsychologist. Working with rubber rings is useful for hands. Flexion and extension exercises of the knees and elbows are done with the help of assistants. Eye exercises are a must. Every day you need to train the movements of the eyeballs. When the eye vessels are affected, surgery may be required first.
Physiotherapy is indispensable during this period. The patient can be given a gentle massage, but not more than 10 - 20 minutes. Balneological procedures are as useful as massage. But there should be support staff with the patient.
It's great if you can go to a rehabilitation center near the sea or forest, where you can breathe fresh air. Eating is importantfully, qualitatively, but it is desirable to refuse meat, at least for the period of rehabilitation. Go all the way to fish, poultry and seafood.
In the residual recovery period, when a year has passed after an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, physical exercises to maintain muscle tone must be continued. In addition, you should adhere to a strict diet and walk a lot on the street. Daily walks and exercises will not let you lose heart and become depressed.
Risk of stroke. Prevention
So we see how dangerous a brain stroke is. The consequences of a blow sometimes cross out the whole future of a person. Everyone at risk, and not only them, needs to think about proper nutrition and lifestyle in general. Overstrain at work, bad habits, stress - these factors pretty exhaust the body. After 60 years, you should already quit smoking, if this has not been done before.
It is important to undergo an examination every year when a microstroke has already been present in the past. More walks, communication, he althy vegetable food and less stress, lack of sleep can be recommended for people who have a predisposition to hemorrhage. As we found out, the consequences after a stroke are extremely severe. It would be right to engage in prevention, not treatment, because rehabilitation after a stroke is extremely long, painful and expensive.
