Stroke - Is it Lethal?

A vertical by Dr Siddhesh Rajadhyax, Founder of Anamay Neuro Clinic, Certified Consultant Neurologist in Surat and an expert at Hello Fitness Magazine who gave a 360-degree insight on Stroke.

What is Stroke?

A Stroke is a sudden interruption in the blood supply to a particular area/s of the brain leading to the death of the brain cells (neurons) due to a lack of oxygen and nutrients required for survival.

Types of Stroke

Strokes are primarily of two types- Ischemic and Hemorrhagic.

1. Ischemic Stroke

Ischemic Stroke occurs due to a clot in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain.

2. Hemorrhagic Stroke

Hemorrhagic Stroke occurs due to rupture/bursting of the blood vessels in the brain.

Risk factors of stroke

• Elderly age group
• Elevated blood pressure (Hypertension)
• Diabetes Mellitus
• High Cholesterol
• Hypothyroidism
• Tobacco smoking
• Alcohol
• Obesity
• Inactive lifestyle
• Stress
• Genetic

symptoms of Stroke

A stroke can occur in a variety of ways, like sudden onset of:

• Weakness of one side of the body
• Facial asymmetry
• Difficulty in speaking
• Imbalance while walking
• Incoordination while doing tasks
• Confusion/irrelevant behaviour

Treatment of stroke

The treatment of stroke differs depending on the type of stroke -

Management of ischemic stroke

Management of ischemic stroke can be divided broadly into two phases - Acute phase and Chronic phase

• Reaching a stroke-equipped hospital within the first 4.5 hours after the onset of a stroke is extremely important. It is the window period for a procedure called Intravenous thrombolysis. one cannot perform this procedure beyond 4.5 hours from the onset of the stroke.
• A procedure called Mechanical Thrombectomy can be performed in selected patients with large artery occlusion or a clot in a major blood vessel, usually within the first 6 hours. Though in some patients, it's beneficial up to 24 hours.

Chronic Phase

The mainstay in the chronic phase is,

• treatment with blood thinner and cholesterol-lowering medications
• physiotherapy
• speech therapy
• occupational therapy
• counselling
• finding the cause of stroke and prevention in the future

Management of Haemorrhagic stroke

The most common cause is uncontrolled blood pressure. So the mainstay is controlling blood pressure and rehabilitation. In cases where there is brain oedema, surgical intervention might be needed.

Prevention from Stroke

One can reduce the risk of stroke by

1. Active lifestyle
2. Having a healthy, clean diet
3. Keeping blood pressure, blood sugars, cholesterol, and thyroid levels under check
4. Reducing stress
5. Quitting smoking, tobacco consumption, alcohol

Dr Siddhesh Rajadhyax

Dr Siddhesh Rajadhyax completed his MBBS and MD(Internal Medicine) from Pramukhswami Medical College, Karamsad, Gujarat, India. He underwent Neurology training at Narayana Hrudayalaya(Bengaluru, Karnataka, India). His special interests in Neurology are in the sub-specialities of Headaches, Vertigo, Stroke, Epilepsy, Parkinsonism and Neuro-muscular disorders.

Anamay Neuro Clinic

Dr Siddhesh Rajadhyax is a Neurologist Expert doctor in Surat. He is the founder of Anamay Neuro Clinic. The clinic has two branches in the city of Surat. Electro-diagnostic services like EEG, NCS, EMG, RNS and Evoked potentials are available at the clinic. Dr. Siddhesh has a supportive and friendly team, and the latest medical know-how to help patients. The clinic abides by all the necessary safety protocols, including Covid-19 precautionary measures. The doctor and team offer world-class care and guidance, always putting their patients first.