What does a stroke cause?

Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
Updated on November 11, 2024
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Stroke primarily causes neurological deficits such as limb paralysis in patients. This paralysis is typically hemiplegic, where one side of the body lacks strength, the affected limbs cannot walk, and the upper limbs cannot be lifted. Stroke can also cause numbness in the limbs. Patients may experience reduced pain and temperature sensation on one side of the body, unable to feel pain or temperature. Additionally, stroke can lead to headaches and symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, commonly seen in hemorrhagic strokes, such as cerebral hemorrhage. Furthermore, strokes in specific brain areas like the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and hippocampus can cause cognitive impairments. Patients become slow to react, have significantly reduced learning and memory capabilities, and their ability to perform daily activities and work is noticeably affected. Strokes can also cause unclear speech, where patients have difficulties in expressing themselves verbally and may even be unable to understand conversations.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
1min 12sec home-news-image

What is a stroke?

Stroke primarily refers to cerebrovascular disease. Acute onset of stroke usually presents with focal neurological deficits, mainly divided into ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. Ischemic stroke, primarily referring to cerebral infarction, occurs due to an interruption in the blood supply to the brain, causing vessel occlusion and resulting in various clinical syndromes. Clinically, it presents rapidly with symptoms such as limb paralysis, slurred speech, and facial drooping. The pathogenesis of ischemic stroke is caused by central arteriosclerosis of large vessels. Additionally, stroke also includes cerebral embolism, mainly referring to atrial fibrillation-induced emboli from wall-attached thrombi, and other foreign bodies causing embolic blockage, leading to necrosis of brain tissue. Stroke also encompasses hemorrhagic stroke, with a typical condition being cerebral hemorrhage, which is due to long-term hypertension causing hyaline degeneration of the small arterial walls, eventually leading to necrosis and rupture with bleeding, resulting in neurological deficits.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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What is a stroke screening?

Screening for stroke primarily targets high-risk groups, conducting relevant examinations to identify individuals at high risk of stroke and provide timely preventive treatment to prevent the formation of cerebral thrombosis. For example, stroke screening requires thorough checks of blood sugar, blood lipids, and homocysteine levels. It is also necessary to measure the patient's blood pressure and assess the condition of the patient’s blood vessels. This includes carrying out ultrasound scans of the bilateral common carotid, internal carotid, and vertebral arteries, as well as transcranial Doppler or cranial MRA examinations. If a patient exhibits significant cerebral arteriosclerosis with arterial narrowing, they are considered part of a high-risk group and must undergo appropriate interventional treatments.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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Stroke and Its Treatment

Stroke primarily refers to cerebrovascular disease, characterized by the sudden onset of symptoms that develop within minutes. This rapid development of symptoms is why it is called a stroke. Stroke commonly affects middle-aged and elderly people who often have certain risk factors. For example, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, smoking, drinking, obesity, and heart diseases like atrial fibrillation can increase the risk of stroke. For the treatment of stroke, it is crucial to reach the hospital as soon as possible, as earlier treatment leads to better outcomes. Generally, if it is suitable, the patient may receive intravenous thrombolysis. Additionally, treatment may involve anti-atherosclerosis measures, nutritional support for nerves, and rehabilitation training, which is also very important.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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What medicine is used for stroke?

Stroke primarily refers to cerebrovascular disease, which is divided into two main categories. The first category is hemorrhagic stroke, including cerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and other diseases. The second category is ischemic cerebrovascular diseases, including cerebral thrombosis, cerebral embolism, and other diseases. Thus, although both categories are classified as stroke, the medications used are different. For cerebral hemorrhage, the patient needs to rest in bed and must strictly control blood pressure, primarily using medications that strictly control blood pressure. There are no special oral medications, but intravenous medications can be given to protect brain nerves. If intracranial pressure is high, some dehydrating and intracranial pressure-reducing medications can be administered. For ischemic stroke, such as cerebral thrombosis, it is crucial to get to the hospital quickly. If it is within the thrombolytic time window, intravenous thrombolytic drugs can be administered for treatment, from which many patients may benefit. Additionally, it is necessary to take long-term medications that prevent platelet aggregation and regulate blood lipids, as well as stabilize arterial atherosclerotic plaques.

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Written by Tang Ying
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
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Stroke Rehabilitation Treatment Plan

In the rehabilitation treatment of stroke patients, we first need to conduct a comprehensive rehabilitation assessment, evaluating the patient's current primary clinical symptoms, nutritional status, and rehabilitation functional impairments. Based on the results of the assessment, we determine the patient's main functional impairments, targeting a series of functional impairments such as mobility, hand function, as well as speech and swallowing disorders. We adopt a series of therapeutic interventions including exercise therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, swallowing therapy, speech therapy, psychological therapy, rehabilitation engineering, and rehabilitation nursing. Generally speaking, through evaluation, we develop a personalized rehabilitation treatment plan for the patient, comprehensively promoting the patient's overall recovery, improving the patient’s ability to live independently, and helping them return to their families, society, and work positions as soon as possible.