Many of us have heard about strokes before, I’m not entirely sure, but I suspect that my very first ‘contact’ with what a stroke victim could look like was from a movie. That being said, I think it’s a pretty popular term and I’d really like to talk about it today because I’ve been reading a lot on it and it’s amazing how much good could potentially be done by simply being informed.

Now, maybe like me your first and possibly only concrete imagery of stroke victims is a man in a wheel chair who is unable to speak or move any parts of his body. However, there is so much more to know; biological processes, risk factors, symptoms, causes and what-not. I’ll try not to bore you with too many details and only mention what might be easiest to remember for everyday knowledge. I hope this works ^^

A stroke, according to the American Stroke Association is something that occurs when a blood vessel carrying oxygen and other nutrients to the brain ruptures or is blocked by a clot. This prevents the part of the brain from getting the blood and nutrients it needs and as a result, brain cells begin to die “in minutes” (Mayo Clinic).

Strokes are a leading cause of death worldwide and according to the Centres for Disease Control, individuals of African descent are at a greater risk for developing this condition in comparison to other races. They also reportedly have the highest rate of death due to stroke, now this honestly may be due to the racial disparity that a lot of individuals testify occurs in some European nations (it’s not me that said it, it’s twitter and research, since forever :D). Anyway that’s not the point today, just that this thing kills like crazy and while this post might not answer all of your questions it may prove helpful, going forward with your decisions about your health and those of people around you.

What are the Causes of Strokes?

There are 3 types of strokes:

Ischemic stroke (which is the most common type)
Hemorrhagic stroke (caused by a ruptured blood vessel in the brain) and
Transient Ischemic attack (TIA, sometimes called a ministroke and doesn’t leave permanent damage).

You can read more about what each type is here. However, deducing from the types of strokes and as reported by Mayo Clinic, there are two main causes of stroke: a blocked artery (ischemic stroke) or leaking/ ruptured blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke). Some people may have only a temporary disruption of blood flow to the brain, known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA), that doesn’t cause lasting symptoms.

Some risk factors for stroke are:

Being overweight or obese
Physical inactivity
Use of illegal drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine
High blood pressure
Cigarette smoking or secondhand smoke exposure
High cholesterol
Diabetes
Personal or family history of stroke, heart attack or transient ischemic attack
Age 55 or older
Being male, as men have reportedly a higher risk for stroke than women
COVID-19 infection

Prevention strategies for stroke include:

Controlling high blood pressure (hypertension).
Lowering the amount of cholesterol and saturated fat in your diet.
Quitting tobacco use.
Maintaining a healthy weight.
Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
Exercising regularly.
Drinking alcohol in moderation, if at all.
Avoiding illegal drugs.

Finally, I’d like to add something I’ve seen a couple of times:

F. A. S. T

It’s an acronym for certain signs you should look out for when determining that a person might be suffering a stroke prompting you to be in contact with an emergency facility as soon as possible.

F — Check for numbness or drooping on one side of the face. Ask the person to smile, check for uneven or lopsided smiles.

A — Check for a weak or numb arm. Ask the person to raise both arms, check for downward drifting of one arm

S — Check for slurred speech. Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand?. Ask them to repeat a simple sentence.

T- If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call an emergency response team and get them to the hospital immediately.