Start Living Healthy to Avoid Stroke

Stroke is categorized as the number one brain vascular disease in the world and causes long-term disability.Stroke is a condition that occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted or reduced due to a blockage in a blood vessel (ischemic stroke) or rupture of a blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke).Without blood circulation, the brain does not receive oxygen and nutrients, so cells in some areas of the brain die.This condition causes parts of the body that are under the control of the affected area of the brain to not function.

Causes of Stroke
Stroke symptoms usually appear on the part of the body that is controlled by the affected area of the brain. Symptoms in stroke patients may include:
- Weakness on one side of the body (hemiparesis)
- Facial muscle weakness that causes one side of the face to fall down
- Difficulty lifting both arms due to weakness or numbness
- Dysarthria or difficulty speaking
- Tingling sensation
- Difficulty recognizing faces (prosopagnosia)
The causes of stroke are usually divided into two parts, namely blood clots in the brain's blood vessels and rupture of the brain's blood vessels. A number of factors can cause these blood vessels to narrow or tear, including high blood pressure, use of blood-thinning medications, brain aneurysms and brain injury.

Risk Factors
According to Dr. Laksimi Indria T, Sp.N, a neurologist at Hermina Hospital Pekalongan, stroke risk factors are divided into 2, namely non-modifiable risk factors and modifiable risk factors,
Unmodifiable risk factors include heredity, history of previous stroke and age. Meanwhile, modifiable risk factors are high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and others that can be modified through a healthy lifestyle pattern by not smoking, drinking alcohol diligently exercising and avoiding eating foods that are high in fat.

Treatment and Prevention
Stroke treatment depends on the type of stroke the patient is experiencing. Medication or surgery can be performed. In addition, patients are advised to undergo physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and psychological therapy to support the recovery process. For prevention, it is divided into 3 of them:
- Primary Prevention
Primary prevention is to prevent healthy people from having a stroke by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, avoiding eating foods that are high in coconut milk, eating offal, too salty or sweet.
- Secondary Prevention
Prevention for people who have had a stroke so that there is no re-stroke by routine control to a specialist because having had a stroke is one of the risk factors for getting a stroke again.
- Tertiary Prevention
Prevention for those who have had a stroke so that complications do not occur, by diligently controlling the doctor to find out what risks of complications may occur so that they can be anticipated so that they do not occur.

Referensi:
Kemenkes, Kenali Stroke dan Gejalanya
Berita Medis Hari Ini. Diakses pada 2024. Stroke: Penyebab, gejala, diagnosis, dan pengobatan.
American Stroke Association (2018). Efek dari Stroke. Komunikasi dan Disartria.
dr. Lakmsi Indira K, Sp.N, 2024