Rehabilitation - life after a stroke. The patient is unconscious

Stroke is a life-threatening disease, in most cases leading to disability and even death. Probability of development dangerous consequences depends on the time interval that has elapsed between the peak of the attack and the provision of medical care in the hospital. A stroke victim, people around him and doctors have no more than 4 hours to restore blood flow to the brain. Therefore, prompt first aid for a stroke is extremely important, during this period it is necessary to recognize an attack by characteristic symptoms, reduce the impact of the attack before the arrival of medical personnel by providing first aid, deliver the victim to the hospital and prescribe him treatment.

It is possible to recognize a stroke and the nature of its development mechanism by a complex of general neurological and specific symptoms in order to provide first aid in a timely manner. To general primary signs, arising spontaneously without any precursors, include:

numbness of the limbs - in most cases on one side of the body;
darkening and double vision;
impaired coordination and orientation;
brief bouts of amnesia;
speech disorder.

Manifestations ischemic stroke have their own characteristics:

paralysis of the body or limbs develops on one side, almost always the opposite side of the brain cell lesion;
the gait becomes unsteady and shaky, often the victim cannot stand on his own;
speech becomes difficult, articulation and perception of what is said is reduced;
occurs, accompanied by bouts of vomiting.

I will attack hemorrhagic stroke quite often preceded by a sharp increase in blood pressure - a hypertensive crisis. As a result, an artery ruptures and a hemorrhage occurs in the brain tissue. At the time of an attack, a person has:

sharp and unbearable pain, it feels like tearing the head;
rapid heart rate;
distortion of the face against the background of increased muscle tone;
paralysis;
high photosensitivity, dots and blurry circles before the eyes.

Signs that allow you to finally diagnose a stroke before the arrival of doctors include:

asymmetrical smile and the impossibility of raising one of the corners of the lips;
impaired articulation and inhibited speech;
asymmetrical movement of the limbs when trying to simultaneously lift them up.

If, with a sudden deterioration in well-being, a person has at least a few of the described symptoms, an intensive care unit should be called immediately. ambulance and take him to the hospital.

At the first signs of a stroke, despite the presence of consciousness in the victim and his assurance that everything is in order, the people nearby should promptly call an ambulance, while describing in detail to the dispatcher the symptoms of brain failure. Before the arrival of doctors, the patient must be provided with primary care to alleviate the condition:

Are you worried about something? Illness or life situation?

When special instructions dispatcher - to fulfill them implicitly.
Gently place the victim in a position in which the head is raised to 30 ° and slightly turned to one side. This is necessary so that in the event of sudden vomiting, food debris does not enter the respiratory organs, and in case of loss of consciousness, the tongue does not sunk.
Open a window or vent so that fresh air enters the room where the victim is located.
Reassure the patient if he is overexcited or begins to get nervous due to limited mobility. It should be explained in a calm tone that medical assistance will soon be provided to him to alleviate his condition.
Measure the pressure and, if possible, the level of sugar, record the results of the measurements in order to subsequently inform the doctors.
Remove or unbutton parts of clothing that are squeezing the throat, chest, belt.
In the absence of consciousness, breathing and heartbeat, immediately perform chest compressions and artificial respiration.

There are also methods of primary stroke care that are not always recognized by specialists. traditional medicine, however, are quite effective in practice. The main one is the method of acupuncture. An unconscious victim is pierced with an alcohol-treated needle on the fingertips until 2 or -3 drops of blood appear.

Also, with a pronounced asymmetry of the face, the patient's earlobes are intensively rubbed, after which they are pierced with a needle until blood appears. This technique quite often brings the patient to consciousness and allows you to relieve tension in the structures of the brain.

to the actions that forbidden to perform if a stroke is suspected, include:

strong shaking of the victim, sudden movements, screams and hysteria of others;
feeding and drinking plenty of water;
bringing to life with ammonia and other acid-containing agents;
attempts to eliminate the symptoms of brain failure on their own with pharmaceutical means;

First aid for stroke

Before the arrival of the ambulance team, it is not recommended for the victim to independently give any medications, except in cases where the ambulance dispatcher can make a single appointment based on the symptoms described.

Medical assistance is provided by ambulance paramedics. Directly in the resuscitation vehicle, doctors perform operational actions aimed at maintaining the vital signs of the body. These include:

indirect heart massage;
artificial respiration;
tracheal intubation;
the introduction of blood-thinning drugs for symptoms of ischemic stroke;
the introduction of anticonvulsants in severe convulsive syndrome;
lowering blood pressure medications if its indicators are critically increased;

It is very important to provide first aid to a person with a stroke. It is necessary in order to prevent the development of irreversible processes in the brain. For this first aid must be rendered within the first 3 hours. In this case, there is a chance that the outcome of the current situation will be favorable. Below you will find instructions on what to do if you have a stroke.

How to identify a stroke

Under such a medical concept as a stroke, there is a violation of the functions of the brain, which has a fleeting character. The cause of this failure is a violation of the blood supply due to ischemia, blockage of blood vessels or the presence of blood clots or atherosclerotic plaques. A stroke results in the death of brain cells. The affected area cannot function normally, so one side of the person's body may become paralyzed. Before giving first aid for a stroke, you need to characteristics determine the type of this state.

Pre-stroke state

Dangerous is not only a stroke, but also the condition that precedes it. The lack of first aid, even in this case, often entails consequences that lead to the same health problems. Signs of a pre-stroke state are:

strong headache;
nausea;
vomit;
dizziness;
a sharp increase or decrease in blood pressure;
sensations of tinnitus;
blurred vision;
flashing "flies" in the eyes;
strong heartbeat and rapid breathing;
the appearance of a "crooked" smile;
a strong rush of blood to the face;
speech disorder;
numbness of an arm or leg;
surrounding objects appear reddish.

Symptoms of a stroke in humans

First health care with a stroke depends on its type. This disease may be:

Ischemic. It is noted in 75% of cases and is also called a cerebral infarction. The reason is a violation of the passage of blood through the arteries due to narrowing of the walls or blockage. After this stroke, paralysis is observed, which is difficult to treat.
Hemorrhagic. It is a cerebral hemorrhage. It occurs when a blood vessel ruptures. The cause is often physical or emotional overwork.

The symptoms that indicate each of the 2 types of stroke are different. Signs of ischemic increase gradually and may even appear in a few days. At the same time, the person gradually begins to feel:

dizziness;
weakness and malaise in one side of the body;
headache attacks;
clouding in the eyes;
speech disorder;
convulsions;
gradual numbness of the limbs;
clouding of mind;
nausea and vomiting.

Otherwise, a hemorrhagic stroke manifests itself. It appears suddenly due to rupture of the walls of the vessel during high pressure on them. Often the patient begins to feel a headache at the end of the day, which is accompanied by nausea. Then all the surrounding objects begin to appear reddish. In addition to these very first symptoms of a stroke, a person may experience:

loss of orientation;
speech distortion;
rare and intense pulse;
increased salivation;
a sharp increase in temperature and pressure;
the appearance of sweat on the forehead;
a state of mild stupor;
sudden loss of consciousness;
loud breathing with wheezing;
vomit;
paralysis on one side of the body;
involuntary movement of healthy limbs;
strong pulse in the neck;
deviation of the eyes in the direction of the lesion.

First aid

In those areas of the brain where there is no blood flow, neurons die in just 10 minutes. If the blood supply is less than 30%, then this time increases to 1 hour. If the percentage is in the range of 30 to 40%, then neurons can still be restored in 3-6 hours. For this reason, first aid for a stroke should be provided no later than 3 hours from the onset of this condition. Otherwise, irreversible changes in the brain cannot be avoided.

Doctors still increase the so-called therapeutic window for first aid to 4.5 hours. This is the maximum period that a person can be without thrombolytic therapy. Within 6 hours, there are still those cells among those who died from ischemia that can be restored, provided that they return to normal blood supply. Even under this condition, first aid for acute heart failure and stroke still requires provision no later than 3 hours.

Separate and effective method The first aid in case of a stroke is bloodletting. The procedure consists of punctures on the fingers. When the patient has a curvature of the mouth, you can do the same on the earlobes, after massaging them until redness. You can do this after basic first aid, especially if the victim does not regain consciousness. The sequence of actions is as follows:

disinfect the needle with fire by holding it over the flame;
make 10 punctures at the tips of the pads around the nails on the victim's hands;
squeeze your finger if the blood has not yet flowed;
wait until blood will go from all fingers - the patient must wake up.

What to do with a microstroke

Officially this medical term, as a mini-stroke, does not exist. This concept refers to the state when the cerebral circulation. It usually only lasts for a few minutes and goes away on its own within a day. In addition to dizziness, headache, nausea and general weakness, a microstroke manifests itself with other signs:

sensitivity to loud sound and bright light;
decreased visual acuity;
hearing or speech impairment;
problems with blood pressure;
drowsiness.

You can check a person for a small stroke simply by asking him to raise his hands: one of them will be lower than the other. With such symptoms, be sure to call an ambulance and provide emergency assistance according to the following algorithm:

Lay the person down on the bed with a few pillows under their head.
Keep your neck free from excess clothing or accessories to ensure normal breathing and circulation.
Open windows for air flow.
Don't give the person any medicines, especially dilating blood vessels.
Keep the victim's legs warm with a heating pad and a blanket.
Constantly bring the person to his senses if he loses consciousness.
If vomiting occurs, clean the oral cavity from the released masses.

With ischemic stroke

First of all, immediately call the neurological ambulance team, informing them of a suspected stroke. Then fully focus on the victim by doing the following:

Lay the patient down with the head and shoulders elevated. The angle should be about 30 degrees.
Using cotton wool soaked in wine vinegar or ammonia bring the patient to consciousness.
Do not let the patient's tongue sink - constantly monitor breathing.
Limit any medication other than glycine or piracetam.
Spray the person's face and neck with cold water every half hour.
Use a soft brush or towel to rub the victim's limbs and body.
Keep the person's feet warm by applying a heating pad and covering them with a blanket.

Hemorrhagic stroke

First aid for a hemorrhagic stroke is carried out using almost the same technique as for ischemic stroke, but it also has its own nuances. It is important to provide it very quickly, because this type of disease is marked by rapid development, as a result of which there is a high risk of life-threatening consequences, and even death. For this reason, first aid measures for stroke must be urgent. Do them in the following order:

Lay the patient on the bed, on the floor or on the ground with raised shoulders and head.
Keep the victim calm and completely immobilized.
Remove or loosen any constricting clothing so that nothing obstructs breathing.
If you have dentures in your mouth, take them off.
Tilt your head slightly to the side.
Clean your mouth of vomit with natural fabric e.g. gauze.
Apply any cold product to the side of the head that is not numb.
Keep the victim's feet warm.
Rub the limbs with a mixture of 1 part alcohol and 2 parts oil.

Ambulance emergency

Call an ambulance at the first sign of a stroke. Upon arrival, doctors carry out a set of measures aimed at restoring or maintaining respiratory and cardiac activity. Emergency care for stroke is also provided with medications. Today, 1% Semax, which is included in the ambulance team's packing, has become more often used in medical practice. In addition to this medicine in the form of drops, a stroke victim can be given drugs intravenously, for example, Cerebrolysin and Nootropil. After that, the patient is hospitalized.

Video: how to help with a stroke

Stroke - symptoms, first aid for a stroke, life after a stroke - from a conversation with the Honored Doctor of Russia, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Fedin A.I.

A stroke is an acute violation of cerebral circulation.
There is a hemorrhagic stroke - a hemorrhage in the brain, in which, unable to withstand pressure, it breaks blood vessel. Blood enters the brain, the affected area dies. This is a more severe form of stroke, the death rate is higher, the consequences are more severe.
Ischemic stroke is a brain infarction - there is a blockage of those vessels that feed the brain, as a result of brain tissue, not receiving nutrition, die off.

Stroke Symptoms

The main symptom of a stroke is suddenness. Sudden severe headache, dizziness, sudden loss of balance, double vision or flies in the eyes. Sudden loss of sensation in the face, arm, leg. If this happens on one side of the body, you should be especially wary. Speech and vision are impaired. These stroke symptoms are very striking and do not require special medical knowledge to make a diagnosis. Therefore, when relatives call an ambulance, they confidently say "stroke"

(The head of the department of the Research Institute of Stroke of the Russian State Medical University Shamalov N.A. gives slightly different stroke symptoms:
It must be remembered that only a hemorrhagic stroke is accompanied by pain and vivid symptoms. In other cases, the symptoms are painless. And this is dangerous. These are the signs that should alert: sudden weakness in an arm or leg, a person suddenly drops the object that he was holding in his hand. There is a feeling of numbness in the arm or leg. Indistinctness of speech appears, the patient has a kind of porridge in his mouth, repeats the same phrase, often out of place, does not understand the speech addressed to him. The corner of the mouth drops. HLS 2006, No. 11)

Stroke First Aid - Life After a Stroke

What can be done with a stroke before the ambulance arrives
You can give those medications that the patient usually takes to reduce pressure, any drugs that dilate blood vessels. Further decisions should be made by the doctor, after a tomographic examination and determination of the type of stroke, prescribe treatment.

Consequences - life after a stroke
25% of patients after a stroke die on the first day. 30% return to work in the first year after a stroke - these are those who had a small stroke. If there is an extensive violation of the blood supply to the brain, the person remains disabled, this is 30-50%.
But life does not end after a stroke. Yes, it is difficult to walk, it is difficult to speak, the hand does not obey. Do not take it as a tragedy, because the person survived, and this is happiness. You need to find yourself in the new conditions of life, find something to your liking, tune in to goodness and light, enjoy every day.
(HLS 2001, No. 17, p. 10)

Stroke - symptoms - causes - prevention. Conversation with Dr. MN Kadykov A.S.

What happens after a stroke

The death of brain cells leads to damage to the motor center, the development of paralysis, impaired speech function, and orientation in space.
Who is at risk
Stroke most often occurs in people with high blood pressure, people suffering from cardiovascular diseases. In the same category, you can safely add diabetics, smokers, people who abuse alcohol, people who are exposed to prolonged stress. As well as hereditary predisposition to stroke

Stroke prevention

1. Refusal of bad habits
2. Sufficient level of physical activity
3. Weight control
4. Correct Mode work and rest
5. Measures to reduce stress
6. Control blood pressure - do not allow it to jump
7. Diabetics monitor their blood sugar levels and prevent them from rising.
8. Reasonable balanced diet with reduced content of animal fats, rich in vegetables and fruits.
9. Patients with cardiovascular diseases include in the diet magnesium (buckwheat, beans, bran, yeast) and potassium (bananas, dried apricots, honey, black currants)
10. With increased blood clotting to prevent stroke, take blood thinners (aspirin can be 1/5 tablet per day)

Symptoms and signs of a stroke

It is possible to suspect an incipient stroke if 2-3 symptoms from the following are observed:
1. Increasing headaches
2. Dizziness
3. Noise in the head
4. Decreased memory
5. Numbness and weakness in the limbs
6. Speech disorder

Lying patient after a stroke - care
In the first days, and sometimes even weeks after a stroke, the patient is doomed to complete immobility. To avoid pulmonary edema, the bedridden patient should be turned in bed every 2 hours. When the condition allows, seat him in bed, placing pillows under his back, at least for a few minutes. If the patient is conscious, it is necessary to do breathing exercises are usually allowed to inflate rubber balloons.

So that a bedridden patient does not form bedsores after a stroke, it is necessary to wipe the skin daily with camphor alcohol or a mixture of vodka and shampoo. If the patient still has skin damage, it is necessary to wipe it with a solution of potassium permanganate and lubricate it with rosehip oil, which promotes tissue healing.

With a bedridden patient after a stroke, even if he is completely immobilized, it is necessary to carry out passive gymnastics, this prevents blood stasis and thrombophlebitis. Therefore, the injured limbs of the patient must be bent, unbent, lifted, massaged, preventing their immobility.

Nutrition after a stroke
If the patient does not need to insert a probe in the acute period, but may choke when swallowing, then liquid and crushed food should be used in the diet: mashed potatoes, kissels, cereals, mucous soups, soufflés, juices, kefir.

Rehabilitation - life after a stroke

The regenerative possibilities of the brain are very great. The surviving brain cells rearrange their work in such a way as to take over the functions of the dead nerve cells.

The task of the doctor-rehabilitologist is to help more full recovery impaired functions.
To avoid repeated stroke, the patient must comply with all stroke prevention measures described above, take care of themselves, avoid stressful situations, overload. Life after a stroke continues, many manage to return to working capacity and lead normal life. The main condition is activity, perseverance, self-confidence. And most importantly - movement, movement, movement. (HLS 2001, No. 3, pp. 8-9)

Stroke prevention. From a conversation with a doctor
To prevent a stroke of the brain, it is necessary to eliminate the causes that cause it. Among the reasons there are those that cannot be eliminated: age (than older man, the higher the risk), heredity, belonging to male gender. Other causes of stroke can be neutralized:
1. Increased arterial pressure(keep it under control)
2. Ischemic heart disease (it can be effectively treated)
3. Diabetes mellitus (can be provided allowable level blood sugar)
4. Smoking and alcoholism
5. Low physical activity
6. High level cholesterol
7. Overweight.

From the above reasons, it can be seen that for the prevention of stroke, one should stop smoking and alcohol abuse, gradually increase physical exercise, limit the diet of foods high in cholesterol, keep weight under control within normal limits. All of these are non-drug factors in the prevention of stroke. Their effectiveness is no less than that of medicines stroke prevention, with which you can normalize blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of thrombosis. (HLS 2012, No. 6, pp. 6-7)

First aid for stroke. From a conversation with a doctor
After a stroke has developed, the time allotted to save the patient is measured in minutes.
What to do before the ambulance arrives
1. It is convenient to put the patient to bed, raising his head higher. Loosen clothing if it interferes with breathing. Do not disturb the patient.
2. Provide fresh air
3. If there is glycine, give 2 tablets under the tongue. But vasodilators (cavinton, no-shpa, nicotinic acid, papaverine) should not be given.
4. An ice pack should be placed on the head from the non-paralyzed side, and mustard plasters should be placed on the feet or the patient's legs should be lowered into a basin of hot water.
5. As a first aid for a stroke, you can take a needle from a disposable syringe and pierce the patient's pads of all 10 fingers (as if taking blood). The patient wakes up immediately. If his mouth is distorted, then massage his ears to redness and pierce both earlobes with a needle so that at least 2 drops of blood flow out. (HLS 2012, No. 6, p. 7)

Stroke phases - How to treat a stroke in each phase. From a conversation with the head of the department of the Research Institute of Stroke of the Russian State. honey. University Shamalov N. A..

A stroke is not a disease, but a condition that can occur with a variety of diseases of the vessels, heart and blood. Therefore, treating a stroke means treating the causes of a stroke, its roots. It could be hypertension diabetes, arrhythmia, a combination of these diseases. Stroke treatment can be divided into three phases.

Phase 1 of a stroke is the most acute, these are the first 7 days after a stroke
2nd phase - acute, the second and third week after the stroke
3rd phase - recovery.

In the acute and acute phase, treatment is aimed at maintaining respiration, circulation, prevention of pneumonia, prevention of bedsores and thrombosis.

At the end of the acute phase, it is necessary to begin the restoration of lost functions. Treat a stroke with massage, physiotherapy, special exercises. All of this is to bring back motor activity and household skills.
The danger of dying from a stroke falls on the first months of illness, the first weeks, days and even the first hours. There is a so-called "therapeutic window" when you can still have time to restore the lost brain cells, it is not large, only 3-6 hours after a stroke. Therefore, the earlier stroke treatment is started, the greater the chance of success.

After a paralyzed patient was discharged home from the hospital, you need to constantly monitor his pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, adhere to an anti-cholesterol diet, limit sugar and salt - all this is the prevention of a second stroke.

The patient needs to expand the motor capabilities of the arms and legs every day, do exercises, learn to walk again, master personal hygiene techniques.

Be sure to talk to the patient to restore his speech after a stroke. Even if the patient does not understand the speech addressed to him, he must talk, otherwise his mental functions will begin to decline.
Relatives should involve the patient in doing household chores (if possible), so that he does not feel useless and unnecessary. It would be nice to find an occupation for the patient, some kind of hobby.

How to treat a stroke with folk remedies

Folk remedies in the treatment of stroke can only be of a background nature, the main treatment for stroke is medical preparations. To prevent recurrent strokes, small doses of aspirin should be taken (preferably aspirin cardio or thrombo ACC). But this remedy is contraindicated if there was a hemorrhagic stroke or there is a stomach ulcer.
Facilities traditional medicine in stroke, they perform a general health-improving and blood-purifying function. Let's consider some of them.

Stroke prevention, treatment and rehabilitation is well helped by flower juice chestnut. In the pharmacy, it is sold in the form of the drug escusan. This remedy increases the tone of the veins and promotes blood circulation.

It is very useful to treat the consequences of a stroke decoction of parsley.. It relieves swelling and promotes the restoration of nerve cells (1 tablespoon of parsley roots per 1 cup of boiling water, boil for 2 minutes, take 100 g 2 times a day).

It has long been used in the treatment of stroke rowan bark. it cleanses the walls of blood vessels and helps to reduce pressure

Useful for stroke prevention and treatment chamomile tea, especially when mixed with immortelle and birch buds. It is a powerful diuretic and blood purifier. Chamomile also promotes blood thinning and is the prevention of thrombosis.

Very effective decoction of pine needles with lemon especially if the stroke is accompanied by an infection (such as pneumonia or urinary tract). The broth is prepared as follows: 5 tbsp. l. needles for 500 ml of water, boil for 10 minutes, leave for 6-8 hours. Then cut a lemon into a glass, pour 100 ml of broth and drink, drink 3 times a day, the course of treatment is 3 weeks, a month break and a new course.

Useful Apple vinegar with honey: 1 tsp vinegar and 1 tsp. honey to 1 glass of water. This folk remedy thins the blood well, activates the metabolism, contains many trace elements, enzymes and vitamins.

If the patient recovers correctly, then he may have only a slight weakness, for example, in his arm (HLS 2005, No. 11, pp. 6-7)

Stroke prevention folk remedies
Most folk remedies for the treatment of stroke are aimed specifically at the prevention of recurrent stroke. The goal of prevention is to achieve normal blood circulation in the vessels of the brain. This is achieved by strengthening the walls of blood vessels and cleaning them from cholesterol plaques, that is, it is necessary to treat atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels. Also, the prevention of ischemic stroke of the brain is to reduce blood clotting and improve its fluidity. There are many folk remedies with which you can achieve these results. Red clover, sweet clover, raspberry leaves are used to thin the blood. Vessels are well cleansed and their walls are strengthened by folk remedies based on onions, garlic, lemons, cranberries, honey, chokeberry. There are many folk remedies to lower blood cholesterol, which is one of the leading factors in the prevention of stroke and heart attack.

Recipes of Dr. A. V. Pechenevsky for the prevention of stroke
These herbal infusions help in the treatment of atherosclerotic lesions of cerebral vessels, i.e. help to avoid a stroke

If you have high blood pressure and high blood clotting
Hawthorn flowers 50 g, hawthorn berries 50 g, cottonwort 40 g, dandelion root 40 g, ginkgo leaves 50 g, sweet clover flowers 40 g, motherwort 30 g
Mix all ingredients and grind. 1 st. l. collection on pour 300 ml of water, bring to a boil, keep on low heat, 3-5 minutes. Infuse for 1 hour, strain, add 1 dess. a spoonful of natural honey. Take 100 g 3 times a day on an empty stomach in a warm form for 20-30 minutes. before meals. Take for months, for a long time.

If you have impaired cerebral circulation, but the pressure is lowered:
Hawthorn flowers 50 g, hawthorn berries 50 g, dandelion root 50 g, St. John's wort 30 g Eleutherococcus root 10 g, horsetail 40 g, calamus rhizomes 20 g.

If you have atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels developed against the background of diabetes:
hawthorn berries 60 g, dandelion root 40 g, walnut leaves 30 g, licorice root 20 g, white mistletoe 30 g, ginkgo leaves 40 g, wild strawberry leaf 30 g, cones
common hop 40 g. Prepare and take the same way

The treatment of vascular atherosclerosis and the prevention of stroke with folk remedies will be much more successful if you combine the intake of infusions with proper diet and high physical activity.
Animal fats should be replaced with vegetable fats. Be sure to add bran to food and sea kale 2-3 tbsp. l. in a day. Increase the proportion of fruits and vegetables in your diet
(HLS 2004, No. 5, pp. 6-7)

First aid for a stroke is those activities that can alleviate the patient's condition and, most importantly, prevent death and all those dangerous complications that accompany this functional disorder brain activity.

stroke is not independent disease, but a pathology that is a complication of such diseases as hypertension, atherosclerosis, arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, vascular anomalies, etc. and occurs after stress, overeating, alcohol abuse, and sometimes against the background of general well-being.

Irreversible processes in the brain occur in the first hours, therefore, adequate first aid provided in time for a stroke will help save the patient's life and reduce all adverse consequences.

What is a stroke

At the sight of a patient, relatives panic - what to do with a stroke? Therefore, it is necessary to have an idea about this pathology. This is an island-like disorder of the functionality of the brain, which is caused by a violation of the activity various sites due to ischemia. According to the mechanism of damaging action, there are: ischemic, hemorrhagic stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Ischemic stroke occurs due to malnutrition of a part of the brain as a result of vascular disorders: spasm, stratification and blockage of the vessel. Hemorrhagic stroke is the formation in the brain due to a vascular rupture of a hematoma, which presses on intact tissues and causes their ischemia and impaired function. Subarachnoid hemorrhage in most cases occurs after injury and is localized between the membrane and brain neurons.

Signs and symptoms

IN Lately stroke is much younger: the age of patients is from 20 to 80 years. Men are more often ill. At initial signs stroke, first aid in the first minutes is 50% of the success of the cure. The onset of a stroke may be accompanied by severe pain in the occipital and temporal regions of the head and the impossibility of even a slight tilt, nausea, vomiting.

There are cases of loss of consciousness or symptoms of damage to a certain part of the brain - paresis, impaired speech, swallowing, vision, coordination of movement. In most cases, a stroke occurs immediately after waking up. Sometimes the patient complains of a feeling of numbness in one or more limbs, convulsions are possible.

Older people develop encephalopathy - inappropriate behavior, aggressiveness or refusal to communicate with loved ones.

If a stroke is suspected, if the person is adequate, it is necessary to ask the patient to smile, say a simple sentence, raise his hands and stick out his tongue. With a stroke, the smile is asymmetrical, the corner of the mouth is lowered; the patient's speech is confused, inarticulate; when raising hands, one limb does not obey well and lags behind when moving; the tongue is asymmetrical and falls to the side.

Knowing these symptoms of a stroke, it is urgent to provide first aid.

First aid

Immediate care for a stroke is the key to a full recovery. The 03 dispatcher needs to describe the symptoms in as much detail as possible in order for the neurological team to arrive.

It should be remembered that brain cells die not in 4 minutes, but 3-5 hours after an attack - this is the period during which first aid is needed for a stroke. This will help eliminate the cause of the disease and prevent formidable complications that lead to disability and death. The patient must be laid on the bed, head raised. First aid for a stroke is to alleviate general state human and control basic functions.

When vomiting, tilt your head to one side, free your mouth from the contents. It is necessary to evaluate the function of breathing and count the pulse. Measurement of blood pressure is important, but high blood pressure should not be abruptly reduced. Limit figures - 185-110 mm Hg. Art.

Enalapril or captopril can be given under the tongue. If normal breathing is impossible, you need to throw back the patient's head, open the mouth and push the jaw, and also try to give the patient artificial respiration.

Taking diuretics (2 tablets of furosemide) significantly improves the patient's condition and prevents the development of cerebral edema. And the use of glycine, cerebrolysin, nootropil will improve the nutrition of brain cells.

Before the arrival of the ambulance, the stabilized condition of the patient is important to prevent consequences. The sooner the patient gets to a specialized department, the better the prognosis for his life. Be sure to tell the doctor exactly what drugs you gave the patient and at what dosage.

You should not panic, but it is important to calm down and remember what to do with a stroke.

Some advise bloodletting as first aid for a stroke. The method consists in piercing the pads of the fingers and earlobes with a sterile needle so that some blood flows out. But this is an unprofessional approach, and this technique is even contraindicated when hemorrhagic stroke.

This disease is social problem because stroke ranks first in terms of disability. After an attack, 50% of patients die. Therefore, everyone should know its symptoms and be able to provide urgent needed help. The Internet is full of advice on rendering emergency care with a stroke. The online game "First Aid for Stroke" has the most interesting and correct methods.

Video about first aid for a stroke:

A stroke is an acute violation of blood circulation in the brain. This is one of serious illnesses which can lead to death or disability. Very rare after stroke a person manages to feel great. As a rule, it is customary to distinguish two types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic, the treatment methods for which are different from each other.

What causes a stroke and how to recognize it?

A disease such as stroke is more common in older people and can be caused by different factors. The main reasons for its development are as follows:

How to identify the first symptoms of a stroke?

Any person should know what to do when the first symptoms of a stroke appear, as in life there are different situations and sometimes help a sick person needs to be provided immediately. But, first of all, you need to understand that the patient has a stroke, and not another disease, for this you need to perform the following actions:

It is worth noting that the doctor's help is especially important in the first 40-60 minutes after the first signs of a stroke appear.

Therefore, you need to immediately call a doctor, and if possible, take the patient to a specialized department of the hospital.

In addition, the disease has special precursors, thanks to which it is possible to distinguish a pathology such as a stroke from a number of others. The first signs of the disease include the following conditions:

What should be done, what should not?

It depends on what type of stroke a person has further treatment. Before proceeding with first aid measures at home, you need to call a doctor and the dispatcher to describe in as much detail as possible the condition of the patient and what is happening to him. If he gives any recommendations according to first aid, they must be followed.

If we are talking about ischemic stroke then the following guidelines should be followed:

But, as mentioned above, there are differences between the two types of stroke. a big difference, which concerns not only first aid methods, but also the manifestation of the disease itself.

In order to alleviate the patient's condition with hemorrhagic stroke, you need to listen to the following recommendations:

Often, with a disease such as a stroke, the patient refuses to provide first aid and go to the doctor, as he believes that the disease will soon pass, and his condition will improve. In this case, it is impossible to listen to him, since it is worth remembering that his brain function is disrupted.

In the event that the patient's heart has stopped, it is necessary to perform artificial respiration or chest compressions.

It is advisable not to move a person who has had an attack, leave him where everything happened, if nothing threatens his life in this place.

So, if a person had a stroke on the road, of course, it needs to be moved to a more safe place without obstructing the passage of vehicles.

What to do before the ambulance arrives?

It was described above what measures can be taken at home before the ambulance arrives if you know what type of stroke the patient has. But sometimes there are cases when it is not possible to identify exactly what type of disease a person has, and therefore any wrong actions can only harm a person’s health. That is why doctors have developed a set of first aid measures at home in the event that it is not clear what type of stroke we are talking about:

It is necessary to measure blood pressure at home even before the ambulance arrives and record the time at which the measurement was made, these data must be reported to the arriving doctor. You also need to remember at what time the person had a stroke. Based on these data, the doctor will select the treatment. After the arrival of the ambulance to the hospital, the person who witnessed the stroke should go with the patient.

It also happens that when helping a person who has lost consciousness, they use Chinese way. It consists in pricking each finger of the hand with a needle, thereby causing capillary bleeding, and bringing the patient to consciousness. Before performing such actions, you need to sterilize the needle well and process it under fire.

Also, the Chinese use another method for stroke, which is effective for curvature of the mouth. It is necessary to rub the earlobes until they turn red, and then prick them several times. Such manipulations will bring the patient to his senses and make the line of the mouth straight. It is worth noting that these methods are not highly valued by Russian medicine, as they can cause a state of shock in the patient.

What can't be done?

The person who will provide first aid must behave calmly and balancedly. Very often, people, due to their inexperience, trying to help the patient, only make things worse, aggravating the state of his health. Do not do the following during a stroke:

The first thing to do with signs of a stroke is to call an ambulance team and try to improve the patient's condition before she arrives. If you yourself do not know what to do, you can ask the doctor how you can help the patient when making a call.

It is worth remembering that first aid for a stroke is necessary measure provided that it is done correctly. Indeed, thanks to timely assistance, it is possible to stop the progression of an acute life-threatening condition.