What causes a stroke and what are the main symptoms to look out for?
A STROKE is a life-threatening health emergency that can leave sufferers with long-term health complications.
Over 100,000 people have a stroke every year in the UK and there are 1.3 million stroke survivors – one of whom is music legend Brian May.
The Queen guitarist, 77, recently announced that that he’d suffered “a little health hiccup” in a form of a mini-stroke.
In a video shared on his website, the music icon said: “All of a sudden, out of the blue, I didn’t have any control over this arm, so it was a little scary.”
Sir Brian revealed the incident left him temporarily unable to use his left arm, but that he was still able to play a guitar nonetheless.
Here we explain everything you need to know about the condition.
What is a stroke?
A stroke is a life-threatening health emergency, which occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is cut off – without blood, the cells in your brain can be killed or suffer damage.
It can have different effects depending on where in the brain this damage occurs.
It can change how you think and feel, and cause speech problems or a weakness on one side.
For some, the effects of a stroke can be relatively minor and will fade quickly, but others can be left with problems that leave them dependent on other people.
Around one in eight people who suffer a stroke die within 30 days, so it is vital to get medical assistance as soon as possible – the sooner somebody is treated, the more likely they are to survive.
Are there different types of strokes?
There are two main types of stroke.
An ischaemic stroke is the most common, accounting for 85 per cent of all cases, and is caused by a blockage cutting off the blood supply to the brain.
Blockages in the brain can form for a number of reasons, including a build up of fatty deposits inside walls of your arteries or heart conditions like atrial fibrillation or patent foramen ovale – a hole in the heart.
A haemorrhagic stroke accounts for the remaining 15 per cent of cases and is caused by bleeding in or around the brain, when a weakened blood vessel supplying the brain bursts.
Damage to the small blood vessels in your brain can lead to bleeds. High blood pressure is one of the most common causes of this, according to Stroke Association.
What is a ‘mini-stroke’?
In a video shared to his website, Sir Brian told fans that he’d suffered a “minor stroke”.
A transient ischaemic attack (TIA ) is often referred to as a ‘mini-stroke’ and can be a major warning sign of the condition, according to Stroke Association.
A TIA is the same as a stroke, except symptoms last for a short time.
You get stroke symptoms because a clot is blocking the blood supply in your brain. When the clot moves away, the stroke symptoms stop.
Even though you might feel fine afterwards, it’s vital to get medical help right away, as having a TIA can warn you that you’re at risk of having a stroke later on.
You’re at greatest risk in the first days and weeks after a TIA.
What are the symptoms of a stroke?
The FAST method – which stands for Face, Arms, Speech, Time – is the easiest way to remember the most common symptoms of stroke:
F = Face drooping – if one side of a person’s face is dropped or numb then ask them to smile, if it’s uneven then you should seek help.
A = Arm weakness – if one arm is weak or numb then you should ask the person to raise both arms. If one arm drifts downwards then you might need to get help
S = Speech difficulty – if a person’s speech is slurred then this could be a sign of a stroke
T = Time to call 999 – if a person has the signs above then you need to call 999 in the UK or 911 in the US for emergency care.
Other symptoms include:
- Sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body
- Difficulty finding words
- Sudden blurred vision or loss of sight
- Sudden confusion, dizziness or unsteadiness
- A sudden and severe headache
- Difficulty understanding what others are saying
- Difficulty swallowing
If any of these symptoms occur for less than a few hours, you could be suffering from a TIA.
It’s important to contact your GP or local hospital if experiencing these symptoms, as they could increase your risk of stroke in the near future.
What are the causes of a stroke?
People assume that strokes only happen to older people, but the life-threatening condition can affect anyone, at any time.
Ischaemic stroke, the most common form of the condition, occurs when a blood clot prevents the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. This is typically caused by arteries becoming narrower over time.
While arteries can narrow naturally with age, other factors, some of which are preventable, can accelerate the process:
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Drinking too much alcohol
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol levels
- Having diabetes
The less common haemorrhagic stroke is caused by bleeding in or around the brain, which is usually the result of high blood pressure.
Again, the factors which contribute to high blood pressure can often be prevented:
- Being overweight or obese
- Eating a high-salt diet
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Smoking
- Not being physically active
- Stress, which can cause a temporary rise in blood pressure
What treatments are there?
The NHS says that effective treatment of a stroke can prevent long-term disability and save lives.
Treatments depend on if a stroke has been caused by a blood clot or bleeding around the brain.
If you have had an ischaemic stroke caused by a clot, you will usually be given an antiplatelet drug like aspirin that helps to stop clots from forming in your blood.
You may undergo a treatment called a thrombectomy, which physically removes a clot from the brain.
If you have a haemorrhagic stroke, due to bleeding in or around the brain, you might be given treatments for high blood pressure. If you’re on anticoagulants, you’ll be given medication to reverse the effects and reduce bleeding.
If a bleed is due to a burst aneurysm – a weakened blood vessel – you might have a surgical procedure to repair the blood vessel. Surgery is also used to reduce pressure caused by a build-up of fluid.
Because every stroke is different, there isn’t a set pattern in order to recover from one – many may recover in leaps and bounds in the days or weeks after the health event, but others may take months or years to do so.
People can have lingering physical or emotional symptoms, while others may have trouble with memory or communicating.