Humming happily as you get ready to go out, you notice something odd in the mirror: only one side of your Face is smiling. You stumble and grab the wall for support. Could it be a problem with your eyes? You can barely see. You wince at the pain in your Arm, unable to lift it. Half of your body feels numb. You want to call for help, but your mouth won’t form the words you want to Speak. What Time is it? How long have you been sitting here? What happened?
What happened is that you just had a stroke.
If this happens to you or someone else, act FAST
Face droops on one side, feels numb
Arm feels weak, just hanging there uselessly
Speech is slurred. It’s difficult to talk
Time is crucial. Call for help immediately
What is a Stroke
A stroke is a form of brain damage that happens when the brain does not get the oxygen it needs. The longer your brain goes without oxygen, the greater, irreversible, and irreparable the damage.
Big Job for a Little Brain
The average human brain weighs about 2.6 pounds for women, and 3 pounds for men. Modern average Americans aged 60-69 weigh 166.5 pounds (women) and 200 pounds (men). Calculating from these measurements, the brain makes up only 1.5% of the total body weight for each.
Small as it is, the brain is the command center of your body. It works hard and it needs a lot of oxygen to function. Of all the organs, your brain consumes the most oxygen, anywhere between 20-25% of your body’s total oxygen use.
Like every other organ, your brain gets oxygen from the blood running through your veins.
How Does a Stroke Happen
There are two main categories of stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic.
- Ischemic strokes are the most common kind of stroke. These happen when a vessel supplying blood to the brain is blocked by a clot or thrombus.
- Hemorrhagic strokes happen when oxygen is not delivered to the brain because a blood vessel has ruptured. These make up around 13% of strokes.
What Happens During a Stroke
Our bodies are made up of trillions of cells. About a million cells die every second and are replaced immediately with new cells.
Oxygen is needed for cells to function and for new cells to be born. Much like what happens during a heart attack, when the oxygen supply to a section of the brain stops, cells begin to die rapidly. Because fresh oxygen is not being pumped in, new cells cannot be created to replace the dying cells.
If the oxygen supply is not restored, the oxygen-deprived section of the brain will be left permanently damaged. Stroke-induced damage tends to radiate out from a core, so the longer the oxygen deprivation, the larger the area of damage.
Stroke Damage Goes Beyond the Brain
Your brain controls every action performed by your body, from breathing to walking. Depending on where the stroke has happened in your brain, you may lose corresponding control of your body. You can lose control of mental functions, physical functions, or both.
Ways to Prevent Stroke
The best way to prevent a stroke is to start taking care of your body as early as possible. If you haven’t already, then now is the time to make lifestyle changes that will help in the future.
- Be more active and maintain your weight at the right BMI
- Quit smoking and limit your alcohol intake
- Keep your blood sugar and blood pressure under control
If you have any questions or concerns, talk to our expert family practice physician nearest you. They will be able to help guide and advise you on how to protect yourself from a stroke.