The impact of stroke is very high not only to the patients but also to the immediate family. Therefore, extreme care should be taken to prevent strokes by knowing about what causes it as this is found to be the third largest killer disease in the world. Brain cells can carry out its functions well only when it gets a constant and undisrupted supply of oxygen and glucose. When this supply is disrupted or interrupted, due to narrowing, hardening or rupturing of the arteries that supply blood and the life saving oxygen to the brain, stroke occurs.
Some of the risk factors that everyone should be well aware are high blood pressure, increased level of bad cholesterol, the rampant diabetes, and of course smoking which is a major factor of narrowing the arteries. It is a fact that even the commonly occurring migraine headache may in some cases be a symptom of a mini stroke.
There are symptoms depicting and varying according to the death of the eminent brain cells and the damage done to the brain tissue. The most common sign or symptom is the numbness that affects the body partially or a hand or leg. This is also accompanied by a tingling sensation or feeling in the area that has become numbed. The patient might also experience sudden difficulty in speaking or making himself understood and there are also chances of drooling.
Trouble in eyesight, in walking and also a feeling of dizziness due to lack of balance are the common symptoms. The suddenly occurring severe headaches without any rhyme or reason may also be a sign of this dreaded disease.
There are researches being carried out and new windows of treatment being open, but prevention of strokes is always better than undergoing the sufferings and taking treatment. A very important step to prevent is to drastically cut down or bring under control some of the risk factors that are definitely in our hands. Having a strict control over our blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and completely stopping smoking is the right and wise step in the right direction.
There is a happy and comforting news for the patients suffering from stroke as new researches have found out that the undamaged part of the brain cells can help and effectively takeover the functions of the dead cells.
