Stroke

What Is A Stroke?

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel, which is carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain, bursts or is blocked by a clot. This causes an interruption of the blood supply to part of the brain. This can damage or destroy brain cells which will affect body functions.

For example, if a stroke damages the part of the brain that controls limb movement, a person’s ability to move an arm or leg may be affected. A stroke can also affect mental processes such as how people feel, think, communicate, or learn.

The term ‘stroke’ comes from the fact that it usually happens without warning, ‘striking’ the person from out of the blue. The effects of a stroke on the body are immediate.

What Is A TIA?

A TIA stands for transient ischaemic attack. It is also known as a mini-stroke and happens when the brain’s blood supply is briefly interrupted, usually for a few minutes.

A mini-stroke may cause a brief loss of vision, loss of speech, or weakness in one side of the body. People will usually recover within a few minutes and won’t have any obvious disability.

TIAs are caused by small clots. A large clot causes a stroke. A mini-stroke is a warning that there is a risk of more TIAs, or a full blown stroke.

How Do You Recognise A Stroke?

Stroke symptoms include:

• Numbness, weakness, or paralysis on one side of the body

• Slurred speech, difficulty thinking of words or understanding other people

• Confusion

• Sudden blurred vision or sight loss

• Being unsteady on your feet
• Severe headache

How to Act F.A.S.T.

A simple test can help you recognise if someone has had a stroke:

• Facial weakness – can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
• Arm weakness – can the person raise both arms?
• Speech problems – can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
• Time to call 999 for an ambulance if you spot any one of these signs.
• When Stroke Strikes, Act F.A.S.T.

Our F.A.S.T. campaign wants to help everyone to achieve a better understanding of the warning signs of stroke.

https://irishheart.ie/your-health/learn-about-stroke/what-is-stroke/ [1]

 

Preventing A Stroke

Every year, more than 10,000 people in Ireland have a stroke. Stroke is the biggest cause of acquired disability and the third biggest cause of death in this country. Stroke can happen at any age. One third of strokes happen in people under sixty-five years of age.

Age, Family History, Background

Some people are at greater risk for reasons beyond their control such as age and family history. Also, statistics show that people from Asian and African communities are more likely to have a stroke.

Some people are more at risk of having a stroke if they have certain medical conditions, such as atrial fibrillation. It is important that these conditions are carefully monitored and treated.

Lifestyle Factors

Your risk of having a stroke is increased by certain things in your lifestyle which you can change, and which also increase your chances of having a heart attack.

These include: smoking, being overweight, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

Stress And Stroke?

The link between stress and stroke is complex and not fully understood. If you feel stressed, your blood will produce more hormones.

Although useful in small amounts, over time too many of these hormones can damage your blood vessels and may lead to high blood pressure.

When life becomes pressurised, you are also more like likely to smoke more cigarettes, drink more caffeine, drink too much alcohol and be less physically active. All of these increase your risk of stroke.

The good news is that by making small changes to your lifestyle, such as stopping smoking and managing your weight, and by taking medications for certain conditions as directed by your doctor, you can reduce your risk of stroke.

How To Reduce The Risk Factors?

To help get you on the right track, we’ve developed a range of articles with practical tips and expert advice on how to reduce your risk factors for Heart Disease and Stroke.

Simply go to our section: Ways To Live Life Better. A few minutes of reading could make all the difference to your heart health and overall well-being.

https://irishheart.ie/heart-and-stroke-conditions-a-z/stroke/#section-prevention [2]