Stroke
A stroke occurs when part of the brain loses its blood supply and stops working. This causes part of the
body that the inured part of the brain controls to stop working. There are two types of stroke – An Ischemic
stroke (part of the brain loses blood flow) and Haemorrhagic stroke (bleeding occurs within the
brain). A stroke is a medical emergency and the patient needs immediate medical attention and emergency
care.
Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability in India. It is worrying that the numbers continue
to increase. Global prevalence of stroke in 2017 was 104.2 million.
FAST is a global protocol to identify and manage stroke patients – Face drooping, Arm weakness,
Speech difficulty, Time to call emergency services.
From the onset of symptoms, there is only a 3 to 4.5 hour window to use clot-busting drugs to try to restore
blood supply to the affected part of the brain.
You can prevent stroke by quitting smoking, controlling blood pressure, maintaining a healthy weight,
eating a healthy diet and exercising on a regular basis.