Cardiovascular system >>>> Ischemic stroke (cerebral infarction)

Ischemic stroke (cerebral infarction).

Ischemic stroke is one of the types of stroke, in which the flow of blood into the vessels of the brain is partially or completely disrupted.

The causes of such a phenomenon as ischemic stroke can be blockage of the vascular lumen as a result of:

thrombosis,
thromboembolism,
vascular insufficiency.

Thrombosis and thromboembolism cause partial or complete blockage of the vascular bed, and cerebrovascular insufficiency can be caused by narrowing of the vascular lumen as a result of atherosclerosis or abnormalities of the vascular wall.

Ischemic stroke is characterized by a gradual increase in the signs of cerebral infarction, which are manifested in the form of numbness or paresis of the extremities, focal numbness in various areas of the body, dizziness, and darkening of the eyes.

Ischemic cerebral stroke can manifest itself as a disorder of the intellectual work of the brain and even impairment of consciousness up to loss of consciousness in critical cases. Ischemic stroke can develop over several hours or several days. Symptoms may increase gradually. Ischemic stroke often develops during sleep.

Signs of ischemic stroke, in addition to the signs listed above, are a weakened pulse, low blood pressure, pale skin and mucous membranes of the face. The peculiar symptoms of ischemic stroke may differ from typical symptoms and depend on the location of the impaired cerebral vessel.

Severe symptoms of ischemic stroke can manifest as aphasia, severe limitation of limb mobility, tissue cyanosis, complete loss of consciousness. With ischemic stroke, a coma is possible.

Treatment of ischemic cerebral stroke is fundamentally different from the treatment of hemorrhagic cerebral stroke (cerebral hemorrhage) due to the fact that hemorrhage ruptures the cerebral vessels (violation of the integrity of the vessel walls), and with cerebral ischemia, the patency of the cerebral vessels is impaired (blood transport, and with it and oxygen). To establish reliably which of the strokes occurred, the hardware study of the vessels of the brain, as well as the great vessels responsible for the blood supply to the brain, helps. According to specific signs, emergency care for stroke is provided, and differentiation of diagnoses clarifies the choice of methods of further treatment.

Therapeutic treatment of ischemic stroke is carried out with first aid drugs: anticoagulants, thrombolytic agents; drugs that increase blood pressure. To prevent oxygen starvation of the brain, antispasmodics are used that relax the vascular wall and promote the expansion of the vascular lumen, allowing the blood flow to recover to some extent. After performing hardware diagnostics and identifying clogged cerebral vessels or cerebral vessels with impaired patency, if therapeutic treatment is impossible, surgical intervention is performed in the main vessels of the head: the carotid and vertebral arteries - eliminate pathological changes in these vessels.

Prevention of ischemic stroke consists in a change in diet and the transition from food that contributes to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, to food with the absence or low content of refractory fats. They monitor the characteristics of the blood and, in the event of an increase in the prothrombin index, take prophylactic drugs that thin the blood. Treatment of vascular thrombosis is carried out if there is a tendency to such pathologies.

Ischemic stroke is easier to prevent than to cure, since in severe cases of cerebral infarction, vital brain functions can be irreversibly damaged, leading to paralysis of the body and / or loss of clarity, or a prolonged coma.