· A stroke occurs when your brain does not receive enough oxygen and nutrients, usually due to a blood clot or a sudden bleed that reduces blood supply.

· A drooping face, difficulty moving your arms, or slurred speech are all symptoms of a stroke.

· If you suspect a stroke, dial triple zero (000) immediately, as any delay could result in permanent brain damage or death.

· You can lower your risk of having a stroke by controlling risk factors like high blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as eating healthy and exercising.

What exactly is a stroke?

A stroke happens when the blood supply to a part of your brain is suddenly cut off. This deprives that part of your brain of oxygen and other nutrients from your blood. A stroke is considered a medical emergency. So, seek stroke treatment in Mumbai as soon as possible.

Your brain requires a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients from blood, which is supplied by your arteries — if you don’t get enough oxygen or nutrients, your brain cells will die (‘infarct’) and the affected area will suffer permanent damage.

A blood clot or a bleed are the two most common causes of decreased blood supply.

Variations of stroke

Stroke caused by ischemia

An ischaemic stroke occurs when a blood clot prevents blood from reaching your brain. If a blood clot forms inside an artery, it prevents oxygen and nutrients from reaching your brain.

Ischaemic strokes are classified into two types:

An embolic stroke occurs when a blood clot forms somewhere else in the body (usually the heart), travels through the bloodstream, and then blocks a blood vessel supplying your brain.

A thrombotic (or thrombolytic) stroke occurs when the blood supply to your brain is cut off due to plaque (a buildup of cholesterol, fat, or calcium in your blood) in your artery walls.

What exactly is a hemorrhagic stroke?

When the wall of a blood vessel in the brain suddenly ruptures, it causes a haemorrhagic stroke. This causes blood to flood into the brain, obstructing oxygen and nutrient delivery.

Haemorrhagic strokes are classified into two types:

When an artery in your brain bursts and bleeds, this is known as an intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH).

When a bleed occurs in the space surrounding your brain, it is called a subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH).

What are the signs and symptoms of a stroke?

The acronym F.A.S.T. stands for the main symptoms of a stroke. Check the following if you suspect someone is having a stroke:

Is their face or mouth drooping?

Can they raise both arms?

Is the person’s speech slurred? Do they get what you’re saying?

If you see any of these signs, call triple zero (000) immediately and request an ambulance. Early intervention could save their lives.

Other signs of a stroke include:

weakness or paralysis on one or both sides of the body

a sudden and severe headache a loss of sensation, usually on one side a loss of vision or blurred vision in one or both eyes

difficulty swallowing, dizziness, losing one’s balance, or a sudden fall

Never forget that a stroke is a medical emergency. The likelihood that there will be stroke-related brain damage after treatment increases with delay.

How is a stroke identified?

A stroke will be diagnosed by your doctor at Jaslok Hospital- the best private hospital in Mumbai, after a physical examination and review of images of your brain. Doctors will perform tests in the hospital to determine whether you have had a stroke or another condition. If you have a stroke, they will determine what type of stroke you have, which part of your brain is affected, and how to treat it.

What is the treatment for a stroke?

The specific brain stroke treatment in Mumbai depends on what caused your stroke, but it usually includes both short-term and long-term measures.

Stroke treatment should begin immediately.

The blood clot must be dissolved or removed in the case of an ischaemic stroke. Medication can dissolve small blood clots. Large clots usually necessitate brain surgery, such as endovascular clot retrieval (mechanical thrombectomy), which involves threading a catheter up your blood vessels to locate and remove the clot.

Immediate treatment for haemorrhagic strokes includes intensive blood pressure control and surgery to relieve swelling caused by bleeding in the brain or to repair the ruptured blood vessel.

Long-term stroke care

Among the treatments available at Jaslok Hospital- best hospital for emergency in Mumbai, to prevent another stroke or TIA are:

Surgery to widen the carotid artery (in the front of the neck) medication to lower blood pressure and cholesterol or thin blood lifestyle changes like a healthy diet, regular exercise, and quitting smoking.