Patient education: Stroke (The Basics)

What is a stroke? — Stroke is the term doctors use when a part of the brain is damaged because of a problem with blood flow. Strokes can happen when:

●An artery going to the brain gets clogged or closes off, and part of the brain goes without blood for too long.

●An artery breaks open and starts bleeding into or around the brain.

How do strokes affect people? — The effects of a stroke depend on a lot of things, including:

●What kind of stroke it is

●Which part and how much of the brain is affected

●How quickly the stroke is treated

People who have a stroke can lose important brain functions. For example, some people become partly paralyzed or unable to speak. Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the world.

What are the symptoms of a stroke? — The symptoms of a stroke usually start suddenly.

One way to help remember stroke symptoms is to think of the words "BE FAST" (figure 1). Each letter stands for 1 of the things that you should watch for and what to do:

●Balance – Is the person having trouble standing or walking?

●Eyes – Is the person having trouble with their vision?

●Face – Does the person's face look uneven or droop on 1 side?

●Arm – Does the person have weakness or numbness in 1 or both arms? Does 1 arm drift down if they try to hold both arms out?

●Speech – Is the person having trouble speaking? Does their speech sound strange?

●Time – If you notice any of these stroke signs, call for an ambulance (in the US and Canada, call 9-1-1). You need to act FAST. The sooner treatment begins, the better the chances of recovery.

A stroke caused by bleeding in the brain can also cause a sudden, severe headache.

How are strokes treated? — The right treatment depends on what kind of stroke you are having. You need to get to the hospital very quickly to figure this out.

At the hospital, the doctors will do tests to confirm that you are having a stroke and figure out what type of stroke it is. This involves imaging tests such as a CT scan or MRI, which create pictures of the brain. Other imaging tests are used to look at the blood vessels or heart.

People whose strokes are caused by clogged arteries can:

●Get treatments that help reopen the arteries. These treatments can help you recover from the stroke.

●Get medicines that prevent new blood clots. These medicines also help prevent future strokes.

People whose strokes are caused by bleeding can:

●Have treatments that might reduce the damage caused by bleeding in or around the brain

●Stop taking medicines that increase bleeding, or take a lower dose

●Have surgery or a procedure to treat the blood vessel to prevent more bleeding (this is not always possible)

Can strokes be prevented? — Many strokes can be prevented, though not all. You can greatly lower your chance of having a stroke if you:

●Take your medicines exactly as directed. Medicines that are especially important to help prevent a stroke include:

•Blood pressure medicines

•Medicines called statins, which lower cholesterol

•Medicines to prevent blood clots, like aspirin or blood thinners

•Medicines that help keep your blood sugar as close to normal as possible (if you have diabetes)

●Make lifestyle changes:

•Stop smoking, if you smoke.

•Get regular exercise (if your doctor says that it's safe) for at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week.

•Try to lose weight, if you are overweight.

•Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and low in meats, sweets, and refined grains (such as white bread or white rice).

•Eat less salt (sodium).

•If you drink alcohol, limit the amount:

-For females, no more than 1 drink a day

-For males, no more than 2 drinks a day

Another way to prevent strokes is to have surgery or a procedure to reopen clogged arteries in the neck. This type of treatment is appropriate for only a small group of people.

What happens after a stroke? — Some people recover from a stroke without long-term or serious problems. But many people lose important brain functions. For example, they might be unable to speak, feed themselves, or move 1 side of their body. Specialists can help with these things. For example, a person might work with an occupational therapist, physical therapist, speech therapist, or other specialist.

After a stroke, people are also more likely to get other medical problems. These can include blood clots in the legs, heart problems, bed sores, or lung infections. Your doctor or nurse will try to prevent these problems from happening and will treat them if they do happen.

What is a "TIA"? — TIA stands for "transient ischemic attack." It is like a stroke, but does not cause permanent damage to the brain. TIAs happen when an artery in the brain gets clogged or closes off, then reopens on its own. This can happen if a blood clot forms and then moves away or dissolves.

Even though TIAs do not cause lasting symptoms, they are serious. If you have a TIA, you are at high risk of having a stroke. It's important to see a doctor and take steps to prevent that from happening. Do not ignore the symptoms of a stroke even if they go away!

More on this topic

Patient education: Transient ischemic attack (The Basics)
Patient education: Lowering the risk of having a stroke (The Basics)
Patient education: Medicines after an ischemic stroke (The Basics)
Patient education: Recovery after stroke (The Basics)
Patient education: Intracerebral hemorrhage (The Basics)
Patient education: High blood pressure in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: High cholesterol (The Basics)
Patient education: Atrial fibrillation (The Basics)
Patient education: What can go wrong after a heart attack? (The Basics)
Patient education: Arteriovenous malformations in the brain (The Basics)
Patient education: Carotid endarterectomy (The Basics)
Patient education: Weakness (The Basics)
Patient education: D-dimer test (The Basics)
Patient education: Stroke rehabilitation exercises (The Basics)
Patient education: Taking care of someone after a stroke (The Basics)
Patient education: Carotid ultrasound (The Basics)
Patient education: Clot-dissolving medicines for heart attack or stroke (The Basics)
Patient education: Stroke – Discharge instructions (The Basics)

Patient education: Stroke symptoms and diagnosis (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Ischemic stroke treatment (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Hemorrhagic stroke treatment (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Transient ischemic attack (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Bell's palsy (Beyond the Basics)