WHAT IS STROKE?

All tissues in our body need oxygen and nutrients to maintain their normal functions. Transport of these vital substances occurs through blood. Oxygenated blood (clean blood) in the lungs is delivered to the farthest points of our body through our arteries, thanks to the pump function of our heart. Our brain makes up about 2% of our body weight, but it is one of the most metabolically active organs in our body. Approximately 15-17% of the blood pumped from the heart goes to the brain.

Stroke, or more commonly known as stroke, is the inability of a part of the brain tissue to perform its normal functions due to bleeding or vascular occlusion. Every year, approximately 17 million people in the world have a stroke and approximately 6 million people die because of it. Stroke is the second most common cause of death after heart diseases. 5 million people around the world continue to live with permanent sequelae of stroke.

WHAT CAUSES STROKE?

Brain cells that are deprived of sufficient oxygen and nutrients cannot perform their normal functions, and as this period continues, brain cells begin to die. The brain is the main command center of our body. Our mobility, speaking, vision, hearing and all our cognitive activities (perceiving the environment, thinking, remembering, reading, writing, etc.) are controlled by different parts of this main command center. A problem in the main command center causes the affected department to be unable to perform its normal functions. This situation causes the patient to have a stroke. 20% of strokes occur due to bleeding (stroke due to cerebral hemorrhage). 80% of strokes occur due to blood flow disorder in the brain due to an obstruction caused by a clot (ischemic stroke). The point to be noted here is this; The right hemisphere of the brain coordinates the movements of the left side of the body, and the left hemisphere coordinates the movements of the right side of the body. Therefore, the damaged side of the brain and the side where the stroke occurred are opposite. Vision problems occur on the side of the brain where the damage occurs.

WHAT KIND OF COMPLAINTS MAY OCCUR IN A PATIENT WHO HAS DEVELOPED A STROKE?

The patient experiences complaints depending on which center of the brain the problem causing the stroke is located. These complaints, which develop suddenly, are briefly: Numbness and weakness in the arm or leg (arm/leg not holding, loss of strength, loss of sensation), Facial deformity (sagging of the mouth and eyes on one side of the face), Speech disorders (not turning the tongue, lisping or not being able to speak at all). , Unilateral or bilateral vision loss, Swallowing disorder, Balance and coordination disorder (dizziness and inability to maintain balance), Memory loss, Impairments in cognitive activities (thinking, reasoning, perception disorder), Reading and writing disorder, Severe headache (vomiting). , may be accompanied by dizziness) Urinary incontinence. Stroke is a condition that requires urgent intervention. Therefore, when you encounter a patient who you suspect is having a stroke, immediately call “112 EMERGENCY CALL CENTER” and ask for help. WHAT IS TEMPORARY STROKE, WHAT IS PERMANENT STROKE? I. Transient Stroke (Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), minor stroke): The short and temporary course of dysfunction in the brain is called transient stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke. The patient's complaints are exactly like a stroke attack, but they are usually very short-lived. It may last less than 5 minutes and often disappears completely in less than 24 hours. It occurs due to temporary blood flow disorder (ischemia) in the brain tissue, but no permanent tissue damage or infarction (tissue necrosis) is observed in the brain. This condition is often caused by a clot, which causes a short-term interruption in blood flow to an area of the brain. After the clot dissolves, the patient returns completely to normal. ii. Permanent stroke (permanent paralysis): It is defined as neurological damage where complaints last longer than 24 hours or lead to death in the first 24 hours. It is a sudden, rapid and progressive stroke that occurs in the patient due to permanent tissue damage (infarct) that develops due to long-term interruption of blood flow to a part of the brain. SHOULD I BE AFRAID IF THE TEMPORARY STROKE LASTS SHORTLY AND DISAPPEARS COMPLETELY? Although a temporary stroke attack disappears in a short time and does not cause any permanent sequelae for the patient, it is actually a "WARNING STROKE." 10-20% of patients who have a temporary stroke attack for the first time experience a permanent stroke within the following 3 months. Permanent stroke occurs within 1-2 days of the first transient stroke attack in almost half of these patients. Patients at high risk of permanent stroke after temporary stroke: Patients of advanced age, Patients with diabetes, Patients whose temporary stroke complaints last more than 10 minutes, Patients who experience speech impairment and significant loss of strength during temporary stroke. Therefore, you should consult a neurologist after a temporary stroke attack.