Ladies, have you known about stroke? Stroke is an emergency condition that needs to be treated as soon as possible because brain cells can die within minutes. Quick and correct treatment can minimize the rate of brain damage and prevent potentially dangerous complications. Stroke is the second leading cause of death in the world and the third leading cause of disability in the world.
So, What is a Stroke?
According to the World Health Organization, stroke is a condition where there are clinical signs in the form of focal and global neurological deficits, which can be severe and last for 24 hours or more and/or can cause death, without any other obvious cause other than vascular. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked or bursts, resulting in part of the brain not getting the blood supply that carries the oxygen it needs, resulting in tissue/cell death.
What are the Signs/Symptoms of a Stroke?
Symptoms or signs of a stroke can vary from person to person. There are three main symptoms of stroke that are easy to recognize, such as one side of the face will look down and being unable to smile or eyes droop. Not being able to lift one arm because it feels weak or numb, not only the arm, but the leg on the one side of the arm also experiences weakness. Speech disturbed, disjointed, or even unable to speak even though the patient appears conscious.
In addition to these three main symptoms, stroke can also cause other symptoms or signs such as a severe headache that comes on suddenly, accompanied by a stiff neck and spinning (vertigo), decreased consciousness, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), resulting in choking, disturbances in sudden or double vision and control of gestures and vision.
The bad effects of stroke can be minimized if the stroke is recognized and immediately get help. Therefore, people who have had a stroke need proper treatment as soon as possible. Handling from medical personnel within 3-4.5 hours of initial symptoms is expected to reduce the risk of death and disability. Therefore, the Indonesian government issued the following slogan go Se-Ge-Ra-Ke-R-S as easy tips to recognize the signs of a stroke.
What Treatment Can Be Done for People with Stroke?
The stroke treatment that will be given is adjusted to the type of stroke experienced by the patient when the symptoms first appeared, and the disease or other health conditions the patient has. Initial treatment for ischemic stroke will focus on maintaining the airway, controlling blood pressure, and restoring blood flow. Meanwhile, in the case of hemorrhagic stroke, the initial treatment aims to reduce pressure on the brain and control bleeding. Stroke treatment can be done by giving pharmacological drugs such as histamine, aminophylline, and acetazolamide and non-pharmacological treatments such as physiotherapy, acupuncture, and psychotherapy. In addition, surgery can also be performed to reduce pressure in the brain and repair broke blood vessels if it’s possible.
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Sources :
Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. Stroke. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [online]. https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/index.htm
Kharti, M. (2021). Top Causes of Stroke. WebMD. [online]. https://www.webmd.com/stroke/guide/stroke-causes-risks
Pusat Data dan Informasi. (2019). InfoDATIN: Stroke: Don't be the one. Jakarta: Kementerian Kesehatan RI.