Stroke is a condition that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is disrupted or reduced due to blockage (ischemic stroke) or rupture of blood vessels (hemorrhagic stroke). Without blood, the brain will not get oxygen and nutrients, so cells in some areas of the brain will die. This condition causes the body parts that are controlled by damaged areas of the brain to not function properly.
Stroke is a medical emergency because brain cells can die in just minutes. Quick handling measures can minimize the level of brain damage and possible complications.
Every part of the body is controlled by different parts of the brain, so the symptoms of a stroke depend on the part of the brain that is affected and the level of damage. Symptoms or signs of stroke vary in each person, but generally appear suddenly. There are 3 main symptoms of stroke that are easy to remember, namely:
- Face. The face will look down on one side and unable to smile because the mouth or eyes droop.
- Arms (arms). People with symptoms of stroke cannot lift one of their arms because they feel weak or numb. Not only the arms, the one side legs with the arms also experience weakness.
- Speech (how to talk). Speech is unclear, chaotic, or even unable to speak at all even though the sufferer looks conscious.
In addition, there are several other symptoms and signs of stroke that may appear, including:
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Severe headaches that come suddenly, accompanied by stiffness in the neck and dizzy spin (vertigo).
- Loss of consciousness.
- Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), resulting in choking.
- Disorders of balance and coordination.
- Sudden loss of vision or double vision.
Based on the cause, there are two types of strokes, namely:
Ischemic stroke. About 80% of strokes are a type of ischemic stroke. Ischemic stroke occurs when arterial blood vessels that carry blood and oxygen to the brain experience constriction or blockage, which causes blood flow to the brain to be greatly reduced. This condition is also called ischemia. Ischemic stroke can be divided into 2 types, including:
- Thrombotic stroke, a stroke that occurs when a blood clot forms in one of the arteries that supplies blood to the brain. The formation of blood clots is caused by fat deposits or plaques that accumulate in the arteries (atherosclerosis) and cause decreased blood flow.
- Embolic stroke, which is a stroke that occurs when a blood clot or clot that forms in another part of the body, generally the heart, is carried through the bloodstream and lodged in the blood vessels of the brain, causing the brain arteries to narrow. This type of blood clot is called an embolus. One of the heart rhythm disorders, namely atrial fibrillation, often causes embolic stroke.
Hemorrhagic stroke. Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when blood vessels in the brain rupture and cause bleeding. Bleeding in the brain can be triggered by several conditions that affect blood vessels. These conditions include:
- Uncontrolled hypertension.
- Weakening of blood vessel walls (brain aneurysm).
- Treatment with anticoagulants (blood thinners).
There are two types of hemorrhagic strokes, including:
- Intracerebral hemorrhage. In intracerebral hemorrhage, the blood vessels in the brain rupture and spill its contents into surrounding brain tissue, damaging brain cells.
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage. In subarachnoid hemorrhage, arterial arteries that are near the surface of the brain, rupture and spill its contents into the subarachnoid cavity, namely the space between the surface of the brain and the skull.