Extensive stroke: consequences, chances to survive, prognosis
It's hard to overestimate the importance of the topic, highlighting what a terrible ailment, such as an extensive stroke, the consequences. The chances of surviving with such a diagnosis can not be called high. But even if it is possible to avoid a lethal outcome, such a defeat of the brain will definitely affect the vital activity of the patient. Therefore, it is worthwhile to know what this pathology is and what its symptoms are.
What should be understood under the extensive stroke of
This problem can be defined as serious enough, as it affects the brain. This disease is common and begins to occur more and more in middle-aged people, while earlier such diagnoses were mainly recorded among citizens who had long celebrated their fiftieth anniversary.
It is worth noting that only with the availability of a high level of expertise from a doctor and access to the right medicines, it makes sense to talk about the effective treatment of such a disease as an extensive stroke of the brain. The consequences of the ailment are more than serious, and if you do not provide timely assistance, then a fatal outcome is possible. Therefore, do not hesitate in case of signs of hemorrhage to the brain.
Ischemic stroke
In fact, such a diagnosis can have two main directions. This is an ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke( the most serious degree of injury).
Initially, it is worth to touch the light form, which is a consequence of the narrowing of the vessels of the brain. During this process, brain cells die due to a lack of oxygen, which must come with blood. Such a disease develops rapidly and has an extensive character( artery or whole group of vessels is affected).
In this case, the ischemic stroke itself can have several varieties:
- Lacunar. It leads to the formation of lacunae( cavities) in the brain.
- Microcluster. In this case, there is a violation of the mechanism, which ensures optimal blood flow( hemostasis).
- Cardioembolic. Artery clogged, but partially.
- Hemodynamic. To this type of stroke can lead to a sudden jump in blood pressure. When blood pressure significantly decreases, there is a narrowing of the vessels, which, in turn, leads to a sharp outflow of blood.
- String. This diagnosis is used to determine the damage to the brain stem. This is a very dangerous form of extensive stroke, because in this case, the vital centers are damaged. This state in the vast majority of cases ends in an instant death.
- Atherothrombic. In this case, the cause of the violation of blood supply is due to a blood clot that is detached from the vessel wall, or due to atherosclerosis.
As you can see, an extensive cerebral stroke stroke is far from comforting, since the degree of damage is too high.
Hemorrhagic form
This type of stroke is characterized by such a dangerous feature as cerebral hemorrhage. There are two variants of the development of events:
- Intracerebral stroke, which was caused by a sudden pressure jump. It is mainly diagnosed in elderly people.
- Subarachnoid extensive brain stroke with hemorrhage. In this case, we are talking about the rupture of the artery. Such an outcome is most often recorded in those who have excess weight or practice bad habits.
Reasons for
As mentioned above, the essence of the vast stroke is that there is a blockage or rupture of a group of vessels of the brain or one large artery. From this it follows that any factors that have a negative effect on the blood vessels and the blood flow in particular can be considered as a cause of hemorrhage.
More specifically, it is worth paying attention to a threat such as an atherosclerotic plaque and those thrombi that can form on it. It is she who often provokes an extensive stroke of the brain. The causes of such plaques are a separate topic, but those who are loyal to excess weight are often at risk.
Often, a violation of the blood supply in the brain can be a consequence of the development of other diseases in the body. Thus, people with the following diagnoses are at risk:
- hypertension, especially when neglected;
- a pathology of the heart, because it creates conditions for emboli and blood clots( congenital and acquired defects, atrial fibrillation, cardiac valves that have been prosthetized);
- asymptomatic atherosclerotic stenosis of carotid arteries;
- obesity as a consequence of a low-activity lifestyle;
- diabetes mellitus( fluidity of blood deteriorates, blood clots are formed);
- cerebral atherosclerosis and high cholesterol in the blood;
is a transient ischemic attack in the anamnesis.
Symptoms of
In order to respond quickly to a stroke, you need to know the key symptoms of it. This will help to correctly determine the patient's condition and immediately call an ambulance.
It is important to study the topic of symptoms before deciding what causes a large stroke. The chances of surviving in the case of a particular patient directly depend on whether medical care is provided in a timely manner.
It is important to note the fact that there are concomitant signs that indicate the occurrence of an extensive stroke. They can manifest themselves before the hemorrhage itself occurs. Sometimes such symptoms make themselves felt a few weeks before the worsening of the problem. These include:
- headaches;
- dizziness;
- short-term memory loss;
- darkening in the eyes during sharp movements;
- temporary loss of orientation in space.
Such a problem as an extensive stroke of the brain, the symptoms may have a somewhat different kind in the event that significant amounts of substance were hit. They look like this:
- drowsiness;
- severe headache;
- temperature increase;
- loss of consciousness( even a coma is possible);
- speech becomes incoherent;
- memory loss is observed;
- sweating;
- convulsions;
- a feeling of dryness in the oral cavity;
- a feeling of a strong sudden heat;
- pain in the eye area;
- the patient ceases to understand what is happening to him and where he is, although he is still conscious( stunned).
How to quickly recognize a stroke
In addition to the above symptoms, there are several ways that can help diagnose a person whose brain is injured by rupture or blockage of blood vessels.
For this you need to perform simple actions:
- Try to talk to the person. If the speech is malfunctioning and the patient can not respond quickly to simple questions, it is necessary to dial the emergency number.
- You need to ask for a smile when you are suspected of an extensive stroke of the brain. The consequences of hemorrhage or lack of oxygen can be manifested through violation of facial expressions - one of the corners of the mouth during an attempt to smile will fall down.
- Another method of rapid state diagnostics is to try to raise two hands up. If the blood supply in the head was violated, there will be no synchronism of movements - one hand will be lower than the other.
In general, it is better to react once more radically than to admit an extensive stroke. The consequences( the photo above clearly shows the picture of the affected brain) may be too serious. What you can expect after a stroke
First of all, it is worth noting that a complete recovery is unlikely to be possible with such a severe diagnosis. This is due to the fact that after such a stroke, there is a violation of various vital functions. Considering such topics as an extensive stroke, consequences, chances to survive and rehabilitation opportunities, it is worth paying attention to the following difficulties that are the result of brain damage:
- Speech impairment. Those who have experienced such a difficult condition, it is extremely difficult to make even the simplest proposals.
- Amnesia. In this case, we are talking about the inability to remember various details related to everyday life, moreover, the perception of information is greatly complicated.
- Violation of concentration, motility and coordination of speech.
- Paralysis of half of the face, limbs, and in some cases, complete loss of motor functions.
If the timely provision of qualified medical care, then in about a third of cases, these consequences of an extensive stroke can be returned to the level when the patient will be able to fully live.
Coma as a consequence of a stroke
This is one of the most difficult outcomes that can be caused by brain damage. Immediately, the coma itself occurs as a result of rupture of a large cerebral vessel, and also after a massive subarachnoid or intracerebral hemorrhage. In this condition, the patient loses consciousness and does not come to.
The longer the duration of a coma and the stronger its development, the more massive the neuronal damage was. In this case, an extensive stroke of the brain after the coma may be very significant, since during the unconscious state in the brain there are extremely destructive irreversible changes.
What happens during coma
In this condition, the patient is not able to respond to various stimuli. In this case, the patient's reflexes do not manifest themselves in any way: the pupils do not react to light and are narrowed, and the pain also does not cause any reactions.
In some cases, arbitrary bowel movements and urination are possible. The only reflexes that persist during a coma are swallowing and breathing. If the coma was the result of hemorrhagic stroke, in most cases, death occurs within 1-2 days due to cerebral edema.
In general, the risk of death is increased if the following factors exist:
- the process of brain cell death is fixed;
- the patient's age exceeds the 70-year mark;
- limb cramps are fixed for more than 2-3 days;
- no reaction to treatment, pain reactions and sound;
- coma has already occurred in the second stroke.
In order to make a more accurate prediction, doctors, as a rule, use computer and magnetic resonance imaging. Blood tests can also be helpful in the diagnosis process.
Extensive cerebral stroke: treatment of
The first thing that can be done in a hospital after the patient has been delivered is to lower blood pressure, connect the patient to an artificial respiration apparatus and increase the fluidity of the blood. And it is important that such help was provided in the first three hours after the stroke came.
In order for the recovery process to be carried out as efficiently as possible, it is necessary to place the patient in a rehabilitation center. The course of recovery can last from one month to two years. Here such has an extensive cerebral stroke consequence. Reviews of many relatives of patients affected by this ailment are confirmed by the fact that it is worth adjusting for a long period of rehabilitation and caring for the patient. Only this way you can achieve its return to a normal way of life.
Emergency measures
Emergency treatment can be aimed at correction of cardiac rhythm and respiration, neutralization of cerebral edema, normalization of arterial pressure, arresting seizures, overcoming the disturbance of homeostasis, fever, vomiting and other symptoms that are pathological. In this case, the process of recovery must be differentiated.
If you have to deal with an ischemic stroke, thrombolytic therapy is often performed, and blood thinning medications are also used. In some cases, if it is not possible to stop active bleeding in the brain area, a neurosurgical operation is performed.
Rehabilitation is also possible at home, but all actions must be coordinated with the doctor. As for the procedures that must be performed in this period, here is their list:
- reflexotherapy;
- magnetotherapy;
- electrostimulation;
- massage.
Prevention of
It is important not to forget about actions that have a preventive effect, because repeated brain damage can no longer give up the chances of recovery. To prevent such a development of events, it is necessary to follow the proven principles:
- constant physical exercises;
- minimum number of stressful situations;
- complete rejection of bad habits;
- regular use of anti-hypertensive drugs prescribed by a doctor;
- the right diet without harmful fatty foods;
- control of excess weight.
Conclusion
As you can see, if there is such a problem as an extensive stroke, the consequences, the chances of surviving and the forecasts in general can not be unambiguous. A lot depends on how quickly qualified medical care will be provided, as well as on many other factors( health as such, age, etc.).