
A stroke is a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when there is an issue with blood flow to the brain, such as blocked blood vessels or bleeding in the brain. It is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and can happen to anyone at any time, though certain risk factors may increase the likelihood. While strokes are typically associated with old age, they can be influenced by external factors. So, can someone make someone else have a stroke?
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
What is a stroke | A stroke is a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when there is an issue with blood flow to the brain. |
What happens during a stroke | The brain doesn't receive enough oxygen and nutrients, causing brain cells to die and resulting in potential loss of functions controlled by the affected area. |
Types of stroke | Ischemic stroke (caused by blocked blood vessels) and hemorrhagic stroke (caused by burst blood vessels). |
Risk factors | High blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, smoking, birth control pills, high red blood cell count, high cholesterol, alcohol use, illegal drug use, abnormal heart rhythm, cardiac structural abnormalities, older age, race, gender, history of prior stroke, heredity or genetics, temperature, season, climate, and social and economic factors. |
Symptoms | Weakness or numbness on one side of the face or body, vision problems, difficulty speaking or understanding speech, coordination issues, severe headache, loss of consciousness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, seizures, or coma. |
Diagnosis | Neurological examination, CT scan, MRI, blood tests, electrocardiogram, and EEG. |
Treatment | Drug therapy (antithrombotics and thrombolytics), surgery, vascular procedures (angioplasty, stenting, carotid endarterectomy, endovascular thrombectomy), blood pressure management, thrombectomy, neuroprotective medicines, life support measures, and craniotomy. |
Prevention | Controlling high blood pressure, quitting smoking, managing cholesterol and diabetes, healthy diet, regular exercise, managing blood thinners, and following a treatment plan. |
What You'll Learn
High blood pressure
There are two types of strokes caused by high blood pressure:
- Ischaemic stroke: High blood pressure damages blood vessels by making them narrower and stiffer, and causing a build-up of fatty material. This process is called atherosclerosis. Clots can form on the areas of fatty material, and if a clot travels to the brain, it causes an ischaemic stroke.
- Haemorrhagic stroke: High blood pressure can damage blood vessels inside the brain, causing bleeding in the brain. This is called a haemorrhagic stroke.
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Diabetes
When we eat, food is broken down into glucose, which enters the bloodstream and travels to cells throughout the body. For glucose to enter cells and provide energy, the body needs a hormone called insulin. In people with type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce insulin. In people with type 2 diabetes, the pancreas either produces too little insulin, or the muscles, liver, and fat do not use insulin correctly. As a result, people with untreated diabetes end up with too much glucose in their blood, and their cells do not receive enough energy. Over time, excessive blood glucose can increase fatty deposits or clots in blood vessels, which may lead to a stroke.
People with prediabetes are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Globally, an estimated 285 million individuals suffered from diabetes in 2010, and this number is projected to increase to 439 million by 2030.
Hyperglycemia, or high blood glucose, during the acute stroke phase is associated with poor outcomes in both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. It is critical to actively correct hyperglycemia to improve stroke outcomes. Aggressive glucose control through lifestyle changes or medication, and the modification of other associated risk factors, are critical steps towards effective stroke prevention.
People with diabetes can take several steps to lower their risk of having a stroke. These include:
- Maintaining a heart-healthy diet
- Not smoking or vaping
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Exercising regularly
- Limiting alcohol consumption
- Learning to manage stress
- Keeping in regular contact with a doctor
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Smoking
How smoking causes strokes
There are several ways in which smoking increases the risk of stroke:
- Cholesterol: Smoking reduces 'good' high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and increases 'bad' low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
- Oxygen levels: Tobacco smoke contains carbon monoxide, which reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood.
- Blood pressure: Tobacco contains nicotine, which elevates heart rate and blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for strokes.
- Blood clotting: The chemicals in tobacco smoke thicken the blood and make it more prone to clotting.
Together, these effects increase the risk of the arteries narrowing and hardening (atherosclerosis). When arteries become narrow and less flexible, it reduces blood flow, raises blood pressure, and increases the likelihood of blood clots. If a clot occurs and travels to the brain, or if blood vessels in the brain burst, it will cause a stroke.
Dose-response relationship
The more you smoke, the more likely you are to have a stroke. A person who smokes 20 cigarettes a day is six times more likely to have a stroke than a non-smoker.
Passive smoking
Breathing in second-hand smoke also increases the risk of stroke. People living with others who smoke are twice as likely to experience a stroke than those living with non-smokers.
Quitting smoking
Quitting smoking significantly lowers the chance of having a stroke. Studies have shown that the risk of stroke in ex-smokers becomes similar to that of non-smokers after five to ten years.
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Alcohol consumption
If you have already had a stroke, drinking alcohol can increase the impact of changes to your speech, thinking, vision, and balance. Alcohol can also worsen any fatigue you may be experiencing. Additionally, alcohol can interfere with certain medications, such as warfarin, a blood-thinning medicine.
To reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury, it is recommended that healthy men and women drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks in a day. The less you drink, the lower your risk of harm from alcohol.
If you have had a stroke, it is important to seek individual advice about alcohol consumption from a doctor. They can advise you on whether and when you can drink alcohol, as well as how much you can safely consume.
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Illegal drugs
Drug use and misuse can cause strokes, even in healthy people who are using drugs for the first time. Drug use is a risk factor for stroke and is increasingly identified as a reason for stroke among young adults.
Cocaine
Cocaine can cause a sudden stroke during or immediately after use. It increases blood pressure, which can lead to a brain bleed. Cocaine use can also cause the blood vessels in the brain to narrow or spasm, cutting off blood flow to the brain.
Amphetamines
Amphetamines can cause a sudden and volatile increase in blood pressure, increasing the risk of stroke in the immediate minutes and hours after use. With long-term use, amphetamines can cause stress on the blood vessels, leading to weakening, rupture, and stroke.
Heroin
People who inject heroin are at risk of infections that can lead to a stroke. For example, endocarditis, an infection of the heart's inner lining, can cause bacteria to enter the blood and grow over the heart valves and vessels. A clump of bacteria can then break off and travel to the brain, blocking a blood vessel and causing a stroke.
Other Illegal Drugs
Other illegal drugs, such as ecstasy, phencyclidine (PCP), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and marijuana, have also been linked to stroke. However, the level of evidence linking these drugs to stroke is weaker compared to cocaine and amphetamines.
In summary, illegal drugs can increase the risk of stroke by damaging blood vessels in the brain and heart, leading to conditions like high blood pressure, which is the leading risk factor for stroke. It is important to recognize the signs of a stroke and seek immediate medical attention to reduce the risk of long-term complications and death.
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Frequently asked questions
Call 911 immediately or have someone else make the call. If the person is unconscious, move them into the recovery position and monitor their airway and breathing.
Use the acronym FAST to help you remember: Face (has the person's face changed?), Arms (can they raise both arms?), Speech (is their speech slurred?), Time (if the answer to any of the above is yes, call 911).
A stroke is caused when blood flow to the brain is stopped or disrupted. This can happen when blood vessels are blocked or because of bleeding in the brain.
There are two main types of strokes: ischemic stroke (caused by a blocked blood vessel) and hemorrhagic stroke (caused by a burst blood vessel).
Anyone can have a stroke, but certain factors can increase your risk, including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, smoking, and high cholesterol.