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Brainstorming Stroke

Studies by the Public Health Foundation show that stroke is the second leading cause of death
worldwide and fourth leading cause of disability. Studies also show that 12% stroke patients in
India are aged below 40.
Recently Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman Narayana Health in NH Dialogues had discussed about types,
symptoms, risk factors, prevention, rehabilitation and treatment methods for stroke patients
across globe. Dr, Vikram Huded, HOD & Consultant Interventional Neurology at NH Health City,
Bangalore, Dr V R Rao, HOD & Consultant Physiotherapy at NH Health City, Bangalore and Dr
Smitha Caren Mathias, Speech and Swallow Pathologist at NH Health City, Bangalore joined Dr.
Devi Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Health, in a 40 minute Q&A session.

What is Stroke and how it occurs?


Stroke, also known as brain attack, is a medical emergency. It occurs when the blood flow to the
brain is suddenly stopped leading to brain cells death. It is considered a life-changing event, which
not only affects the patients, but also their families.

What are the types of Stroke?


There are mainly three types of strokes including
Ischemic stroke - This is responsible for 80.2% strokes in India. It occurs due to blockage
or clot formation in blood vessel of the brain. The obstruction in the blood vessel occurs
to due to development of fatty deposits in the linings of blood vessels.
Hemorrhagic stroke - This is caused by ruptured blood vessels, which lead to bleeding in
the brain. Hemorrhagic stroke is responsible for 17.7% strokes in India.
Transient Ischemic stroke (TIA) - This is also called a mini-stroke and is temporary, caused
by the formation of blood clot. This kind of stroke may last for a few minutes or day and
may show temporary symptoms. The patients should immediately consult if they observe
any signs of TIA.

Symptoms
The general symptoms include
Sudden onset of weakness and numbness in one side of the body including face, hand and
leg
Loss of speech or difficulty in speaking and understanding speech
Difficulty in swallowing
Loss of vision of trouble in viewing
Dizziness and sudden headache
Loss of balance and lack of coordination
Vomiting and nausea
Loss of consciousness

Risk factors
Indians are genetically prone to stroke due to predominance of metabolic syndrome. The change
in lifestyle and socio-economic conditions have increased the stress and altered the food habits,
increasing the chances of developing hypertension and diabetics. This has resulted in an increased
number of stroke patients in India. The common risk factors include

High and uncontrolled blood pressure


High cholesterol
Blood disorders and severe anemia
Obesity
Smoking and high consumption of alcohol
Uncontrolled diabetes
Consumption of food high in trans-fat
Heart diseases
Family history of stroke
Consumption of recreational drugs such as cocaine

Treatment
The treatment depends on the type of stroke whether it is an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke.
The FDA-approved treatment for the ischemic stroke is tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which
is given intravenous and dissolves the clot. This enhances the blood flow to the brain. In case of
hemorrhagic stroke, the doctor may perform a surgery and may prescribe medicines to lower the
blood pressure. The treatment of TIA can be done through surgical and non-surgical procedure.
In surgical procedure, the clot can be removed from the artery and in non-surgical procedure, a
stent can be placed in the infected artery through angioplasty.

Prevention
The chances of developing a stroke can be prevented by leading a healthy lifestyle, eating fiberrich diet and doing exercise. Other steps include

Monitoring the blood pressure


Controlling the blood sugar in case of diabetes
Quitting smoking
Decreasing the consumption of alcohol
Leading a stress-free life
Getting regular medical checkups in case of family history

Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation accelerates the recovery of the stroke patient. There are three stages of
rehabilitation including acute, sub-acute and chronic stage. In acute stage, the patient is
recovered immediately by removing the clot and in sub-acute and chronic stages, the focus is to
improve the functional abilities of the patient so that he/she becomes independent and get back
to normal life.
Physiotherapy, speech and swallowing therapy, clinical therapy and occupational therapy play a
vital role in patients recovery. All these therapies help the patients improve their functional,
speaking and swallowing abilities. The patient also become mentally and emotionally stable and
gets confidence to get back to society. Watch the full length webinar at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGD5qsaT0e8

About Narayana Health:


We are headquartered in Bengaluru, India, and operate a national network of hospitals in India with a particularly strong
presence in the southern state of Karnataka and eastern India, as well as an emerging presence in western and central
India. Our first facility was established in Bengaluru with approximately 225 operational beds and we have since grown
to 57 facilities with 5,442 operational beds as on Jan'16, through a combination of greenfield projects and acquisitions.
We believe our "Narayana Health" brand is strongly associated with our mission to deliver high quality and affordable
healthcare services to the broader population by leveraging our economies of scale, skilled doctors, and an efficient
business model.
In aggregate, our centres provide advanced levels of care in over 30 specialties, including cardiology and cardiac surgery,
cancer care, neurology and neurosurgery, Orthopaedics, nephrology and urology, and gastroenterology.
1. Includes 56 facilities in India and the 1 facility in the Cayman Islands operated by our associate company,
HCCI.
2. Includes facilities and beds across hospitals that are owned, operated, leased and managed, and the 101
operational beds and 104 capacity beds facility in the Cayman Islands operated by our associate company,
HCCI.

For more information about Narayana Health, visit http://www.narayanahealth.org/

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