Stroke is a medical condition where there is obstruction of the blood supply of parts of the brain, this results in cellular injury.
TYPES
Ischaemic. Most common, occurs in over 80% of cases.
Hemorrhagic. Less common.
RISK FACTORS (THINGS THAT CAN MAKE YOU HAVE STROKE)
Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, Positive Family History, Increasing Age, Cigarette Smoking, High Cholesterol, High Alcohol Consumption, Obesity, Sedentary Lifestyle, Sickle Cell Anaemia
CLINICAL FEATURES
There are very many possible signs and symptoms of stroke but the commonly occurring are:
Speech difficulty, facial asymmetry, one sided weakness, one sided reduced or loss of sensation, change in smell, vision, taste or hearing, headache, seizures, vomiting, loss of consciousness.
THE KEY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF STROKE IS EARLY PRESENTATION.
PREVENTION: This is by proper management of all the modifiable risk factors.
WHAT STROKE IS NOT
Stroke is not:
1) An arrow from the village people
2) Exclusive to elderly people. While it is more common in them, it can also occur in young adults and even children.
3) Rare. It is one of the leading causes of long term morbidity/disability and mortality/deaths in the world.
4) A death sentence. It is treatable and full recovery is possible.
Joseph Odeyemi is a highly passionate and motivated medical doctor with a major interest in preventive medicine. He is driven by a keen need to target paediatric public health challenges associated with malnutrition and vaccine-preventable illnesses. He looks forward to harnessing his medical expertise to provide equitable and accessible healthcare to children in Africa, particularly Nigeria. A curious mind with an ardent love for history and football, Joseph is results-oriented, collaborative and excited about new learning opportunities. He graduated top of his class in medical school, spent the next year doing his mandatory 1-year internship at Federal Medical Center, Abeokuta and has since immersed himself into public health practice.
