If you are a CDPAP caregiver, it’s essential to know about the causes and signs of stroke. Knowing how to spot the signs of a stroke can help you get care for the recipient as quickly as possible so that outcomes are good.
According to the American Stroke Association, stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death and one of the leading causes of disability in the U.S.
Below we’ll discuss what a stroke is, how to prevent it, and how to get care for someone having a stroke. It’s estimated that 80% of strokes are preventable.
What is a stroke?
We all rely on blood vessels and arteries to carry blood and oxygen to our brains. In the case of a stroke, this flow is reduced or interrupted causing brain cells to begin dyng from a lack of oxygen and nutrients.
Unless a stroke victim is treated quickly, this can result in brain damage or death.
Who is at risk for having a stroke?
People with the following conditions are more at risk of having a stroke:
– High blood pressure
– Diabetes
– High cholesterol
– Obesity
– Carotid and other arterial diseases
– Atrial fibrillation and other heart diseases
– Certain blood disorders (such as Sickle Cell Disease)
– Blood vessel abnormalities
There are lifestyle factors that can increase a person’s risk of having a stroke. As a CDPAP caregiver, it’s important to talk to the recipient about cutting down on these risk factors, including:
– Excessive alcohol ingestion
– Drug abuse (cocaine is particularly likely to cause a stroke)
– Tobacco use (including the inhalation of secondhand smoke)
Some stroke factors cannot be avoided but are important for caregivers to know. For example, increasing age, sex (strokes are more common in males), heredity, ethnicity (African Americans are 50% more likely to have a stroke), and a prior stroke all put people at greater risk.
What causes a stroke?
There are two types of stroke – ischemic and hemorrhagic – and they each have a different cause.
Ischemic Stroke
- Blocked artery
Blocked or narrowed blood vessels are caused by fatty deposits that build up in blood vessels. It can also be caused by blood clots that travel through the bloodstream and lodge in the blood vessels in the brain.
If the blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood to the brain become narrowed or blocked, this can cause an ischemic stroke. This accounts for roughly 87% of all strokes.
Hemorrhagic Stroke
- The leaking or bursting of a blood vessel
If a blood vessel in your brain ruptures or leaks, blood will leak into the brain tissue and cause a hemorrhagic stroke.
When this happens, the damaged area of the brain cannot work, and the part of the body it controls will cease to function properly.
Transient ischemic attack
If the blood supply to the brain is only decreased temporarily, a person may have a transient ischemic attack (TIA), also known as a “mini-stroke.” These “attacks” tend to last just a few minutes and typically do not cause lasting damage. However, having a mini-stroke may increase a person’s risk of a full stroke.
What does someone who is having a stroke look like?
A CDPAP caregiver must be able to recognize the signs of a stroke so they can get help as soon as possible.
Signs of a stroke can include:
– Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, typically on one side of the body
– Sudden confusion
– Trouble speaking or difficulty understanding speech
– Sudden vision trouble in one or both eyes
– Sudden difficulty walking
– Sudden dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination
– Sudden and unexplained severe headache
– Loss of consciousness
– Paralysis on one side of the body
– Sensitivity to light
– Severe, unexplained stiffness in the neck or neck pain
– Feeling heart fluctuations
– Trouble breathing
– Hand tremors
– Having difficulty swallowing
– An abnormal taste in the mouth
Treatment for a stroke
Treatment will depend on the type of stroke a person has had.
Some strokes can sometimes be treated with emergency IV medication or drug therapies to break up a blood clot. However, these must be administered quickly. Drugs delivered via IV to break up a blood clot need to be administered within 4.5 hours of the onset of symptoms in order to be effective.
Emergency endovascular procedures may also be used. These are non-surgical interventions during which a mini catheter is inserted into the blood clot through the groin or arm in order to break up the clot. This procedure is performed by an interventional radiologist.
Serious strokes may require surgery to stop bleeding, remove the clot, repair damage, and prevent long-term disability.
Effects of a stroke
The aftereffects of a stroke can vary widely. They depend on the cause and severity of the stroke as well as how quickly treatment was administered.
After a stroke, a person may experience:
– Paralysis or loss of muscle movement (typically in one side of the body)
– Difficulty swallowing or talking
– Memory loss and other cognitive difficulties
– Emotional issues
– Pain
– Changes in behavior
Because of these consequences, a person may become more dependent on others to function.
Stroke Prevention
While there’s no guaranteed way to ensure a person doesn’t have a stroke, there are ways to decrease the likelihood of a stroke. As a CDPAP caregiver, it may be a good idea to discuss a stroke prevention plan with the person you’re caring for.
Your conversation may include:
– Assessing the person’s stroke risk and asking a doctor about prevention strategies such as statins for those at high risk
– Encouraging them not to smoke
– Helping them engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (typically 40 minutes a day, 3-4 days a week)
– Discussing the benefits and risks of aspirin therapy with their doctor (which could increase bleeding risk in some cases)
– Making dietary changes such as reducing sodium (to help lower blood pressure) and increasing potassium, as well as eating more fruits and vegetables overall
– Planning to monitor blood pressure to ensure it’s less than 140/90
– Maintaining a healthy BMI- If a person has had a heart attack or heart valve lesions, anticoagulation therapy may be in order. In addition, those at risk of stroke should take steps to manage migraines and take steps to avoid seasonal illnesses like the flu by getting an annual vaccine.