Stroke: The Silent Threat You Need to Recognize Before It’s Too Late
Stroke is one of the silent threats close to us that continuously threatens the lives and well-being of people worldwide. According to reports from the National Institute for Emergency Medicine, stroke is the second leading cause of death in Thailand, following cancer. Moreover, the incidence of stroke in patients aged 18-50 years is continuously increasing every year.
Therefore, awareness of the warning signs and dangers of stroke is crucial to enhance the ability to respond and prevent stroke in a timely manner before it is too late.
Getting to Know Stroke
Stroke, also commonly known as paralysis or hemiplegia, is a non-communicable chronic disease (NCD) often found in people aged over 65 years. The cause of stroke occurs when the brain suddenly lacks blood flow due to narrowed blood vessels, ruptured blood vessels, or blockage of blood vessels in the brain, resulting in brain cells and tissues being damaged from the lack of oxygen and nutrients.
What is the Difference Between Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke?
Many people have heard the terms ischemic stroke or hemorrhagic stroke. Although both are related to stroke, these two conditions have different causes as follows:
- Ischemic Stroke is a disorder of the brain’s blood vessels found in up to 87% of all stroke patients. Ischemic stroke can be caused by blood clots, fat deposits on the blood vessel walls, and deterioration of blood vessel walls in the elderly, causing the vessels to gradually narrow and restrict normal blood flow.
- Hemorrhagic Stroke is a disorder of the brain’s blood vessels found in only about 13% of cases. Hemorrhagic stroke usually occurs in fragile blood vessels in the brain combined with high blood pressure, causing the fragile area to bulge and rupture in the brain tissue or the meninges. This results in reduced blood flow to the brain, increasing the risk of rapid death in stroke patients.
How to Recognize Stroke Symptoms Using “B-E-F-A-S-T”
Blockage or rupture of blood vessels in the brain is a major cause of dysfunction in parts or all of the brain, leading to various abnormal symptoms depending on the severity of the stroke. Therefore, memorizing the warning signs, symptoms, and abnormalities of stroke using the B-E-F-A-S-T acronym is essential to help stroke patients receive treatment promptly within 4.5 hours after symptom onset.
- B (Balance): Dizziness, unsteady walking, loss of balance
- E (Eyes): Blurred vision, sudden loss of vision, or double vision
- F (Face): Facial drooping, crooked mouth, drooping corner of the mouth
- A (Arm): Numbness or weakness in one arm or leg
- S (Speech): Slurred speech, inability to speak, difficulty understanding speech
- T (Time): If any of the above symptoms occur, immediately take the patient to the hospital as quickly as possible
The 4.5-hour window after stroke symptom onset is known as the “Stroke Golden Hour”, during which medical teams can administer clot-dissolving medication immediately to help restore normal blood flow to the brain. This significantly reduces the risk of disability or death from stroke.
The key to mitigating the impact of stroke is knowledge, caution, and timely response. Therefore, if patients or their close ones recognize stroke warning signs, they should promptly seek evaluation and diagnosis from neurologists and stroke specialists. Phyathai 1 Hospital offers stroke diagnostic services every weekday from 08:00 to 16:00 to help patients recognize and respond to stroke threats in a timely manner.
Reference:
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stroke/#:~:text=A%20stroke%20is%20a%20serious,damage%20is%20likely%20to%20happen.
- https://www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/blog/stroke/what-is-the-difference-between-hemorrhagic-and-ischemic-stroke/
- https://www.healthline.com/health/stroke/ischemic-vs-hemorrhagic-stroke#ischemic-stroke
