What is a Stroke?
What is a Stroke?
A stroke is damage to the brain as a result of an interruption of blood supply. Stroke is a medical emergency and can cause permanent damage or even death. There are four types of stroke;
Ischemic stroke: An obstruction of a vessel supplying the brain with blood. Approximately 87% of strokes are Ischemic.
Hemorrhagic stroke: This is a result of a bleed on the brain. It is usually caused by a weakened vessel. There are two types of vessels that cause a hemorrhagic stroke - arteriovenous malformations (tangle of blood vessels in the brain) and aneurysms (enlargement or ballooning of a blood vessel). This accounts for approximately 13% of all strokes.
Transient Ischemic attack (TIA): TIA or mini-stroke is a temporary obstruction of blood supply to the brain. TIAs usually last under one hour and can be a warning of a future stroke.
Cryptogenic stroke: This is a stroke without a known cause.
Warning signs of Stroke
Slurred speech
Loss of vision or impaired vision in one or both eyes
Numbness in face, shoulders and/or arms
Dizziness
Nausea
Headache, usually severe
Difficulty swallowing
F.A.S.T
Face - Has their face drooped?
Arms -Can they lift both their arms?
Speech -Is there speech slurred? Do they understand you?
Time - Is imperative. Stroke is a medical emergency call 000 immediately.
For information regarding stroke, what to do whilst you wait for an ambulance, Childhood stroke, testing and treatment and recovery please refer to the resources listed below.
https://strokefoundation.org.au/About-Stroke/Learn
https://hmri.org.au/research/brain-mental-health/stroke-and-brain-injury