A stroke occurs when blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly cut off. Without immediate treatment, 1.9 million brain cells die every minute. Knowing what to do can save a life.
A stroke is one of the most serious neurological emergencies a person can face. It occurs when blood supply to a region of the brain is suddenly cut off — either because of a blocked artery (ischaemic stroke) or a burst blood vessel (haemorrhagic stroke). Without immediate treatment, brain tissue begins to die rapidly. The consequences can be permanent disability or death.
In India, stroke is one of the leading causes of adult disability. Yet many strokes are preventable, and outcomes are significantly better when patients receive treatment quickly. Time, in stroke care, is everything.
The most reliable way to remember the signs of stroke is the acronym FAST:
Other symptoms include sudden severe headache with no known cause, sudden vision disturbances in one or both eyes, sudden dizziness or loss of coordination, sudden confusion or difficulty understanding, and sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body.
In ischaemic stroke — the most common type — a clot is blocking blood flow to part of the brain. Clot-dissolving medication (thrombolysis) is most effective when administered within 4.5 hours of symptom onset. Interventional procedures to physically remove the clot (thrombectomy) may be possible within a slightly longer window. Every hour of delay narrows these options and worsens outcomes.
When someone experiences a stroke, the brain loses approximately 1.9 million neurons per minute without treatment. Getting to a hospital quickly is not just advisable — it is essential.
Certain factors significantly increase the risk of stroke. These include high blood pressure (the single most important risk factor), atrial fibrillation and other cardiac arrhythmias, diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, previous stroke or TIA (transient ischaemic attack), and a family history of stroke.
Many of these risk factors are modifiable. With the right medical management and lifestyle changes, stroke risk can be substantially reduced.
A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) — sometimes called a mini stroke — produces the same symptoms as a stroke but resolves within 24 hours, usually within minutes. A TIA is a warning. It indicates that the brain has been briefly deprived of blood flow and that a major stroke may be imminent. Anyone who experiences TIA symptoms must seek immediate neurological evaluation — the risk of a subsequent stroke is highest in the days immediately following a TIA.
For those who have already had a stroke, the focus shifts to preventing recurrence. This typically involves blood-thinning medications, management of underlying conditions such as atrial fibrillation and hypertension, dietary modifications, regular exercise and close neurological follow-up. For appropriate patients, surgical or interventional procedures may be recommended to address the underlying cause.
At RVR Super Speciality Centre, our Neurology department is led by four DM qualified neurologists with specialised expertise in stroke and cerebrovascular disease. Comprehensive stroke evaluation, management and follow-up care are available through a single, experienced team — right here in Mangalore.