The most common cases of death or disability are usually associated with stroke and various impairments in the brain. In this article, we will find out what and how the microinsult manifests itself, how to avoid this process and diagnose it in time.
The first signs of a micro stroke of the brain
At the very beginning of the pathology there is a slight numbness of the limbs, a feeling of coldness in the legs and hands. A person can not warm up, does not fully feel his fingers. There is also a headache, the intensity of which may be weak and not cause suspicion. Strengthening the pain syndrome accompanies such signs of a micro stroke as a negative reaction to bright light, sharp or loud sounds. In addition, patients with hypertension are prone to sudden increases in blood pressure.
How does the microinsult manifest in the future?
A micro stroke is also called an ischemic attack. This means that the process under consideration is a harbinger of more extensive lesions of the brain tissue that can lead to a stroke . In this regard, you need to pay attention to any of the above symptoms, and, if you have at least 3-4 of them, immediately go to the hospital. It is worth noting that the signs of micro-stroke in the elderly are more difficult to determine because of the many accompanying diseases with similar distinctive features. In such situations, you should carefully monitor the indicators of pressure, coordination of movements, facial expressions of a loved one.
What are the symptoms of a micro stroke?
Mainly:
- speech impairment;
- problems with memory, attacks of amnesia, or inability to recall events of the recent past (while a person can very clearly describe everything that happened more than 10-20 years ago);
- disruption of the functions of the vestibular apparatus, loss of balance;
- severe numbness of the limbs on the one hand, sometimes up to paralysis;
- loss of coordination of movements, sharp, uncontrollable gestures;
- distortion of the face, especially in the mouth and eyes;
- problems with eyesight.
Microinsult - Diagnosis
First of all, the attending physician conducts a detailed questioning of the patient for the decision of the preliminary diagnosis. Then, as a rule, an x-ray examination of the cervical spine is prescribed. This allows you to detect a violation of blood circulation and insufficiency of blood flow to the brain. In addition, it is recommended to perform ultrasound dopplerography, angiography (in case of suspected atherosclerosis of the vessels). A compulsory study is computed tomography of the brain in order to find out which areas of the tissues have undergone ischemia.
An echocardiogram and an electrocardiogram are performed to check the functioning of the cardiovascular system. These procedures are necessary to establish concomitant diagnoses if the patient suffers from arrhythmia or other pathologies of the myocardium.
Biochemical blood analysis is also included in the list of mandatory laboratory tests. It serves to obtain information about inflammatory processes in the body or anemia.
Microinsult - prevention
To avoid damage to the brain tissue, you need to take care of your health in advance:
- get rid of the habit of smoking, if there is one, and abuse alcohol;
- allocate enough time for rest;
- Do at least a minimum of physical exercises every day;
- once a year to undergo examination at the therapist and not forget about the prevention of existing chronic diseases;
- periodically check the condition of the vessels of the brain.