Guide To The Symptoms Of An Ischemic Stroke

An ischemic stroke is a serious medical event. It occurs when a blood clot becomes lodged in a blood vessel in the brain. Without a supply of blood, the brain cells begin to die in a matter of minutes. The underlying cause of an ischemic stroke can be from the buildup of plaque in the blood vessels or any other mechanism that can cause an embolus or clot to travel to or develop in the brain. Diagnosis of an ischemic stroke is made with a variety of tests, including physical exam, magnetic resonance imaging, and computerized tomography scans. Others are electroencephalograms, evoked potential tests, echocardiography, and angiography.

Patients must receive emergency care for an ischemic stroke. At the hospital, ischemic stroke treatment often involves intravenous medication. In most cases, doctors use tissue plasminogen activator for ischemic strokes. Surgery for an ischemic stroke is another option. Patients may also need to take long-term medication for stroke recovery. This is often an anticoagulant, such as acetylsalicylic acid. Natural supplements for stroke recovery may be an option as well. Of course, patients must understand the symptoms of an ischemic stroke first.

Sudden Numbness Or Weakness

An individual in the process of having an ischemic stroke may experience sudden numbness or weakness in their face, hands, arms, legs, or feet. Numbness is the loss of sensation in a part of the body. However, it does not always entail the parallel decline of motor function. Weakness is the impaired ability to move the muscles in one or more parts of the body, though it may not always include parallel impairment of sensation. Both sudden numbness and weakness can indicate a stroke.

Most individuals who have a stroke experience these symptoms on one side of their body or face. This unilateral effect occurs when a stroke causes blood deprivation to the arteries responsible for supplying the nerves in the individual's brain that send signals to the muscles and nerves on the corresponding side of the body. The part of the body or face that experiences numbness or weakness may appear droopy or flaccid.

Uncover more symptoms of an ischemic stroke now.