BRAIN ATTACK

By David Bodunde, Rph

Image from www.nhlbi.nih.gov

A brain attack is a term used to describe a stroke or better still a cerebrovascular accident (CVA). A stroke is said to occur when there is a loss of brain function due to a problem with blood supply or circulation in the brain. Brain cells start to die after a while of being starved of glucose and oxygen and because of the complex nature of the brain and its control of many bodily functions, the effect of a short in blood supply in the brain is noticed immediately.

There are two major types of stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic.  Ischemic stroke occurs as a result of a lack of blood supply to the brain while hemorrhagic stroke is caused by bleeding within the brain caused by a burst blood vessel. Ischemic stroke accounts for more than 80% of strokes and usually the underlying cause is atherosclerosis or fatty deposits on the lining of blood vessels which can cause a blood clot or thrombus to clog part of an artery which supplies blood to the brain. Alternatively there could be a formation of a blood clot in another location in the circulatory system part of which breaks off and travels through the blood stream to clog the artery that supplies the brain with blood.

Image from www.nlm.nih.gov

Hemorrhagic stroke accounts for less than 20% of strokes but causes 30% of all stroke deaths. A blood vessel ruptures inside the brain, or the outer layers covering the brain leading to severe bleeding through the brain and resulting in a mass of accumulated blood which compresses brain tissue and interferes with blood supply.

The signs of stroke 

Stroke symptoms start suddenly lasting over seconds to a few minutes and in most cases do not progress any further. Recognizing and responding quickly to the warning signs of stroke can significantly reduce disability-time lost is brain lost.  

There are five basic signs of stroke and it is important to familiarize oneself with these signs and call for emergency help or head to the emergency as soon as possible. The five signs include

• Weakness

 Sudden loss of strength or numbness in the face, arm or leg.

• Trouble speaking

Sudden difficulty speaking or understanding or sudden confusion.

• Dizziness

Sudden loss of balance, especially  accompanied by other signs of stroke.

• Headache

Sudden severe and unusual headache.

• Vision problems

Sudden trouble with vision 

The effects of stroke

A major stroke can cause severe brain damage and death while a mild stroke can cause little or no brain damage. There are also transient ischemic attacks (TIAS) which are minor or warning strokes. This is a type of ischemic stroke; however the blood clot occurs only for a short time and resolves quickly.

The result and consequence of a stroke is thus dependent on the type of stroke, the area of the brain where it occurs, and the extent of brain injury.

A stroke in the right half of the brain can cause paralysis on the left side of the body, while a stroke in the left half of the brain can cause paralysis on the right side of the body.

Stroke prevention

It is a known fact that 80% of strokes can be prevented with a healthy life style. There are risk issues that the individual can do something about and they include maintaining a normal blood pressure, cholesterol levels, weight, reducing alcohol consumption, increasing physical activity, quit smoking and reducing stress. There are factors that one cannot control and these include age, gender, family history, ethnicity and history of stroke or TIA.

For women over the age of 35, the use of hormone based contraceptives may increase the risk of stroke, especially if coupled with other risk factors like presence of high blood pressure, smoking or heart disease.