Stroke Symptoms: Essential Measures That Could Save Your Life!

Each year, over 100,000 people in England and Wales suffer their first stroke and, alarmingly, it remains the most common cause of death after heart disease and cancer in developed countries. Whilst many stroke victims make a good recovery, there is still a high risk of permanent or temporary disability.

A stroke can result from either a cerebral haemorrhage (in 15 per cent of cases), whereby an artery bursts and blood leaks into your brain; or, more commonly, due to cerebral thrombosis, where a blood clot blocks an artery and causes a sudden and severe reduction in the flow of blood to your brain.

Approximately 60 per cent of all male and 90 per cent of all female stroke patients are over 65 years old, but the factors which result in stroke can start well before this age.

Are you at a high risk of suffering a stroke?
Medical conditions which increase your chances of having a stroke, include high blood pressure, diabetes, atrial fibrillation (irregular heart beat), and atherosclerosis (thickening of your arteries).

These factors can all lead to thrombosis, whereby a blood clot forms and prevents your blood from flowing normally. Atherosclerosis exacerbates this situation by providing an anchor for the blood clot to attach itself to an artery wall.

Normally, the inside of your arteries are smooth and so your blood is able to flow easily. But where there is thickening or any interruptions to the normal smoothness, it is easier for blood clots and fatty deposits to accumulate, eventually blocking the entire artery, which can result in a stroke.

'Mini-strokes', known as Transient Ischaemic Attacks (TIAs), can also be an early warning sign of stroke. A 'mini-stroke' occurs when the blood supply to a certain part of your brain is interrupted for a short period, but not permanently as happens in a full-blown stroke.

Conventional treatments can cause the very condition they aim to treat!
Conventional treatments for established stroke are aimed at reducing the severity and after-effects of an attack, but fail to address the underlying cause. Many doctors recommend taking aspirin for a TIA, which helps your blood to flow more easily within your arteries - reducing your risk of developing further blood clots. However, taking aspirin can cause bleeding, and long-term use has been linked to a higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke. Other anti-clotting tablets such as warfarin are also prescribed but, again, these can cause excessive bleeding.

A treatment which has been effective in dissolving blood clots for some stroke patients, is intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) - a chemical which is injected into your vein to unblock the affected artery. However, this treatment can cause bleeding in your brain.

As a last resort some patients undergo surgery, to prevent thrombotic (large-artery strokes), to clean out and open up arteries in the neck. This procedure can lead to serious complications, including a heart attack or stroke!

Alternative treatments to harmful drugs and surgery
The following treatments have been successful in safely helping many stroke patients:
Ginkgo biloba. This extract of the maidenhair tree has been found to be effective in improving brain function, by reducing free radical damage to your brain. Following a stroke, there is an increased activity of free radicals in the affected area of your brain. And these by-products of your metabolism can cause further damage to your brain tissues (J Assoc Physicians 1995 43(11);760-763).

In addition, ginkgo has been shown to improve blood flow to your brain (Angiology 1994, 45(6);413-417). It works by dilating your blood vessels and reduces the risk of abnormal blood clotting. The recommended dose is 120 mg of standardised extract a day.

Melatonin. The free radical fighting abilities of melatonin - a natural hormone produced by the pineal gland in your brain - are well known. This is a particularly useful chemical because it can easily reach your brain and protect the area affected by stroke against further damage. It does this by binding with free radicals and inactivating them (Biol Sign Recept 1998 7(4);195-219).

At present, melatonin is only available on prescription in the UK. The normal dose is 3 mg a day for prevention, but much higher doses have been used to successfully treat established stroke under medical supervision.

Hydergine and Piracetam. These two drugs are called 'Nootropics' which means they are active in boosting brain function, and are used to treat poor memory and cognitive problems following a stroke (Clin Neuropharmacol 1994 17(4);320-331).

Hydergine is also a powerful antioxidant that can protect your brain tissues from free radical attacks. The recommended dosage is 10 mg a day of Hydergine and 4,800 mg a day of Piracetam. Again, both treatments are only available on prescription and, whilst they do not have severe side-effects like many conventional drugs, they can cause nausea and dizziness in some cases.

Preventative measures that could save your life!
Because the symptoms following a stroke are difficult to treat, it is best to start taking preventative measures to reduce your risk of experiencing a stroke right away. Have your blood pressure taken regularly, and take steps to lower it if it is currently high.

Take regular exercise, quit smoking, and follow a diet low in carbohydrates which can help reduce glycosylation - a process which causes excessive thickening of your arteries and increases your risk of suffering a stroke. Supplementing with potent antioxidants, such as vitamins E, C and A can also help prevent you from becoming another stroke victim.

The Severity Of A Stroke Can Vary From Mild To Life-Threatening
A stroke can cause any combination of the following stroke symptoms:

• Difficulty in talking, swallowing or understanding what is being said
• Loss of consciousness
• Weakness or paralysis of your arm or leg on one side of your body
• Loss of memory
• Urinary incontinence
• Loss of vision in one eye, or diplopia (seeing double images)
• Anxiety or depression

In cases of TIA, these symptoms can last anything from a few minutes to 24 hours, and then usually disappear. This does not mean you are out of danger, however, as the underlying conditions (atherosclerosis and thrombosis) that caused the TIA in the first place, still remain.

Even after the main symptoms of a stroke start to settle down, other conditions can result, including dementia, persistent incontinence, bed-sores, malnutrition, and infections.