Microstroke is a harbinger of a full-fledged acute disorder in the blood supply to the brain, which is a stroke. To prevent such a problem, you need to take your lifestyle seriously: give up bad habits, follow a diet, maintain high physical activity and take the necessary medications. Otherwise, a repeated and more devastating strike may follow within a year (and in some cases even a month) after the first one. In order to prevent the development of the disease, it is necessary to detect the symptoms in time and adhere to the treatment prescribed by the doctor. In this case, you can increase your chances that the blow will never happen again.
Definition
There is no single terminology regarding the described disease. Some believe that a microstroke is a process accompanied by the death of a small part of the brain. Others call this term a condition characterized by a lack ofblood in one of the areas of the brain.
By the way, there is no such definition in the medical lexicon at all. Experts explain that a microstroke is the common name for insufficient oxygen supply in a separate part of the brain. The lack of oxygen is temporary, and the problem is eliminated in less than a day. Due to this, the cells do not die, as in a stroke. The real medical name for this condition is transient cerebrovascular accident.
Classification
Transient cerebrovascular accident is divided into 3 types:
- Transient ischemic attack.
- Hypertensive cerebral crisis.
- Cerebral vascular disorders.
Microstroke is the first type among these disorders, which is accompanied by neurological symptoms lasting from several minutes to hours. The medical name itself contains the decoding of the disease:
- the term "transient" refers to the temporality of the phenomenon;
- "ischemic" - a state of lack of oxygen;
- and an attack is called an acute attack.
The second type is characterized by an increase in pressure, against which cerebral and cardiac symptoms appear. And the third is rare, its symptoms are unstable and vary from person to person. Sometimes they can manifest as fainting or impaired functioning of the arteries. Since a microstroke is a transient ischemic attack, we will discuss it further.
Reasons
There can be many reasons for a strike, but there are a few that become fundamental in most cases. Among them:
- Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels. The mechanism of a microstroke in this case is the detachment of the plaque, the growth of a blood clot on it, or an increase in the thickness of the walls of the vessel. Any of these three processes leads to a partial (55-75%) overlap of the lumen of the latter. Cell death does not occur only due to the resorption of a plaque or blood clot by the forces of the body.
- Thrombosis of the lower extremities. Blockage of blood vessels may be a consequence of taking oral contraceptives or varicose veins. The situation is complicated if, in addition, a person suffers from arrhythmia. In this case, the thrombus can break off and be transferred with the blood flow to the brain vessel, which disrupts the nutrition of neurons. There will be no death if the clot dissolves.
- The intake of substances that cause vasospasm, in particular nicotine from cigarettes. Spasm is manifested in the compression of blood vessels in one of the areas. Usually, organs affected by some kind of pathology, such as inflammation or diabetes, are hit. Oxygen supply is restored when the spasm passes.
- Surgeries on large bones, burns or bruises of the subcutaneous tissue can also cause a microstroke. In this case, a suspension with fat molecules enters the bloodstream, which leads to a short blockage.
- Subclavian steal syndrome. This complex term hides a narrowing of the subclavian artery in a placeanterior branch of the vertebrate that feeds the brainstem. If a person with this syndrome actively works with his hands, the blood flow rushes to the limbs, and the brain begins to experience a lack of nutrition.
- Anemia. A low level of hemoglobin leads to the fact that too few molecules are involved in the transport of oxygen, which is why all organs and systems experience a shortage, primarily the brain.
- Poisoning from toxic carbon monoxide. Once in the blood, carbon monoxide molecules block hemoglobin, and it cannot transport oxygen.
- Increased blood viscosity. This condition occurs with a large number of red blood cells, diseases of the heart and bronchi, frequent, but not volumetric fluid intake. Viscous blood does not pass through some thin vessels, and the brain does not receive normal nutrition.
Thus, at risk are people with atherosclerosis, abnormal structure and inflammation of blood vessels, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart and blood diseases, migraine, osteochondrosis, tumors on the neck or inside the skull, aneurysm, vegetative-vascular dystonia, varicose veins, overweight, chronic stress, hereditary diseases. And also those who abuse bad habits, endure heavy physical exertion, take contraceptives or have undergone major operations.
The situation in which a person has several risk factors for the development of a microstroke is especially dangerous. Age also plays an important role here. Risks are increasingafter 30 years and doubled after 60. The reason for this is a slowdown in metabolism, which, like other organs, affects the vascular wall. This leads to a decrease in the diameter of the vessels that deliver blood to the brain, and a deterioration in their response to commands from the nervous system that regulates expansion and contraction.
First signs
An approaching microstroke is most often accompanied by the first signs, including:
- headache and dizziness;
- numbness of limbs or facial areas;
- vision deterioration, black flashes before eyes;
- emergence of weakness;
- nausea;
- failures in the functioning of the vestibular apparatus and the brain;
- discomfort on the skin.
Unfortunately, few people pay attention to these symptoms and the first signs of a microstroke. Treatment is delayed, and stroke still occurs in most cases. This is because such manifestations of failures in the body are characteristic of a very wide range of diseases, and it is difficult to diagnose a transient ischemic attack based on them. But on impact, the symptoms are more pronounced.
Follow-up symptoms
Signs of a micro-stroke depend on which vessel was damaged. If it is an artery supplying the brain stem and occipital lobes, the stroke will manifest itself as a combination of several symptoms from the following list:
- loss of some areas from the field of view in both eyes;
- pain in the back of the head;
- spontaneous movement of the eyeballs to the sides;
- inability to touch nose with hand with closed eyes;
- noise and ringing in the ears;
- pallor of the skin;
- excessive sweating;
- Difficulty swallowing saliva.
When the carotid artery is affected, the signs are as follows:
- complete or partial blindness of one eye;
- deterioration of the sensitivity of the limbs (moreover, if vision has deteriorated in the right eye, the left arm and leg are weakened, and vice versa);
- weakening of masticatory muscles;
- deterioration of speech;
- disorders of fine motor skills.
Additional symptoms may include:
- temporal amnesia and spatial loss;
- inability to formulate one's thoughts and speak clearly;
- partial paralysis of the body.
If the signs of a micro-stroke do not go away for more than a day, there is reason to believe that a full-fledged stroke has occurred.
Specific features
Women take more hits. This is due to a greater predisposition to thrombosis due to physiological characteristics and less stress resistance. The symptoms of stroke and microstroke in women may differ from those in men. So, they often experience a sharp numbness of the limbs, tingling in them, loss of clarity of speech, redness of the face, shortness of breath, convulsions, blurred vision, and severe headaches. In addition, hiccups, depression,inability to control one's own emotions, pain in an arm, leg, chest or stomach, severe nausea, fainting, disorientation, dry mouth, choking, heart palpitations.
Specific signs of stroke and microstroke in men also exist. They are characterized by clouding of consciousness, uncontrollable weakness, hearing and speech impairment, impaired coordination, difficulty with perception.
Because everyone's he alth is different, regardless of gender, symptoms may appear to varying degrees or not at all. A sufficiently strong organism can endure the blow so that a person does not attach due importance to a sharp deterioration in his condition and continues to lead his usual way of life. Signs of a microstroke suffered on the legs are similar to those described above, but the consequences can be more serious.
Consequences
With a probability of 50%, after a micro-stroke, a full-fledged stroke will occur. Most often this happens within a year, but it can happen after a couple of days, and a month, and even after 5 years. This can be avoided by taking measures to improve the blood supply. Do not be afraid of the state. A transient ischemic attack in itself does not lead to death, and if a stroke did occur after it, the body will tolerate it better than if the stroke occurred without prior preparation. This is because after a microstroke, the number of vessels increases, which allows you to more evenly distribute the load on them.
However, the attack does not pass without a trace for the body. Possible consequences after it are:
- mental decline;
- memory deterioration;
- absent-mindedness;
- repeated strikes;
- mental he alth disorders.
These consequences of a microstroke are manifested in both men and women.
First Aid
If there is a suspicion that a person has had a stroke, the first thing to do is call an ambulance. While waiting for doctors, the patient should unfasten constricting garments (such as a belt or tie) and lay him down so that he does not fall from dizziness and waste the strength he needs to recover.
Microstroke may be accompanied by accumulation of fluid inside the skull, and this threatens with swelling of the brain, so the victim's head should be laid on a pillow at a slight angle relative to the body. It is required to measure blood pressure and, if necessary, give a pill to lower it, but it is better to consult a doctor by phone beforehand. If the patient begins to vomit, it is better to turn the head to one side. If the heartbeat and breathing stop, resuscitation will have to be carried out in the form of artificial respiration.
Diagnosis
In a medical institution, the first thing to do is to establish signs and symptoms of a microstroke, treatment is carried out on the basis of them. The diagnosis of "transient ischemic attack" is made by specialists after a tomographic study. You can visualize and check the brain in layers using the following methods:
- computertomography;
- Magnetic resonance imaging to see brain structures;
- positron emission, the accuracy of which allows to detect the site of ischemia in the case when symptoms persist at the time of the examination.
When studies show that there are dying parts of the brain, a stroke is diagnosed. If they are not present, then the vessels are examined for the presence of plaques and blood clots. If they are found, an operation is performed to remove them, thereby significantly reducing the risk of stroke.
In addition to these studies, a scan of the veins in the legs, an electrocardiogram and an ultrasound examination of the heart are carried out, blood is taken for analysis. If any pathologies are detected, measures are taken to regulate the indicators. All this helps to soften the impact.
Treatment
After the diagnosis, treatment and recovery measures are taken. A microstroke causes a lack of oxygen; in severe cases, an oxygen mask is put on the victim or connected to a ventilator. With the help of special preparations, they dilate blood vessels, improve the absorption of oxygen by neurons, normalize blood pressure, stabilize the work of the heart, thin the blood, and eliminate possible swelling of the brain.
Surgical intervention is required if angiography reveals vessels narrowed by more than half. In this case, installation of a stent, endarterectomy or angioplasty is required. Additional treatment for signs of a microstrokeusually not needed as they pass within hours and sometimes minutes.
After a person has received first aid, he is sent to a neurological hospital, and in case of significant improvements and there is no threat to life, he remains at home. However, at home, the treatment of a microstroke still needs to be carried out. It will consist in rehabilitation measures.
First of all, you need to follow all the recommendations of the doctor, but in addition, you can try to speed up recovery on your own:
- An infusion of celandine is useful for this. It is prepared from 1 tablespoon of pharmaceutical herbs, poured with a glass of boiling water and aged for 2 hours. Ingestion of 20 drops three times a day will help restore circulation.
- Instead of celandine, you can use sage. For 500 ml of water, 3 tablespoons of dry grass are taken, then they are infused for several hours. You need to take 100 ml 3 times a day.
- If possible, you can make an infusion of spruce cones. They are crushed, poured with cold water, tightly closed and infused in a dark place for two weeks. The strained remedy is taken 25 drops per day.
- You can speed up the recovery of nerve endings of the spinal cord with a tincture of 1 teaspoon of dried peony flowers, poured into a glass of boiling water and aged for 2 hours. Strained liquid is taken 4 times a day for a tablespoon.
Folk recipes are very effective, but before resorting to their use, you needconsult with your doctor. Some remedies may simply be contraindicated in certain cases.
Prevention
In order to never face the problem of a lack of oxygen in the brain tissues, or at least reduce its risk, you need to eliminate provoking factors. To do this, follow the following recommendations:
- give up bad habits;
- reduce fatty and fried foods;
- treat emerging diseases in a timely manner;
- monitor blood sugar levels;
- maintain normal blood pressure;
- avoid physical overload;
- to pass examinations on time.
Compliance with these rules is also necessary after the first strike in order to prevent a repetition, and if a person has not encountered this problem, but is at risk. It is better to prevent the development of the disease than to undergo a long recovery procedure. A micro-stroke is not a sentence, but any malfunction in the body can lead to unpleasant consequences.
