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A stroke occurs when a part of the brain gets damaged due to interruption of its blood supply. The symptoms and signs of a stroke depend on the size and location of the damaged area.
In a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), the symptoms of stroke disappear completely within 24 hours.
Common symptoms include:
The risk of stroke can be lowered by:
Act FAST for stroke
Stroke is an emergency. Recognise stroke symptoms and act F.A.S.T.
Blood is supplied to the brain by blood vessels called arteries. These arteries may get blocked, causing an ischaemic stroke or infarct. Less commonly, these arteries may burst, causing a haemorrhagic stroke or brain haemorrhage.
There are a number of factors that increase the risk of stroke:
A number of tests are done, including:
While in hospital, your condition will be closely monitored. About 20% of patients will worsen within the first week. Very high blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol will need to be lowered by dietary control and medications. Those who are unable to swallow safely may need to be fed by a tube through the nose.
Rehabilitation aims to get the patient to be independent in his daily activities. It starts as soon as possible through physical, occupational and speech therapy.
In ischaemic stroke, the use of blood thinners such as antiplatelet and anticoagulant medication significantly reduces the risk of a second stroke. If there is a severe narrowing of a neck artery leading to a minor stroke or TIA, surgery to remove that narrowing (carotid endarterectomy) reduces the risk of another stroke.
If the haemorrhagic stroke is due to rupture of a “bubble” on a blood vessel (an aneurysm), the aneurysm can be clipped surgically, or sometimes blocked up by specially-inserted coils. Rupture of an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) can also cause a haemorrhagic stroke. Surgery, specially-inserted glue may be needed to treat it. Accumulation of brain fluid may need to be relieved by a surgically-inserted “drain”.