Producer: Priyanka Das Editor: Aparna Singh
Spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has undergone a brain surgery due to internal bleeding.
A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, occurs when blood vessel supplying any part of brain gets blocked or bursts. In either case, parts of the brain become damaged or die.
Ischemic stroke: It occurs when blood vessel gets blocked leading to death of part of brain supplied by the blood vessel.
Hemorrhagic stroke: It occurs when blood vessel bursts leading to bleeding within brain tissue and damage of tissue.
One more entity called transient ischemic attack (TIA), as the name suggests, stroke symptoms start and resolve on own due to restoration of blood supply to brain. Many times TIAs occur days or weeks before actual stroke, hence acting as warning sign for future stroke.
Brain needs continues supply of oxygen and nutrients. Due to blocked or burst blood vessel energy supply gets affected leading to death of neurons within minutes. Each half of brain roughly controls opposite half of body.
Modifiable risk factors: High blood pressure( >140/90), diabetes mellitus, lack of sleep, stress, obesity, smoking, high plasma lipids, lack of exercise, oral contraceptive pills, heart disease, abnormal heart rhythm.
Non modifiable risk factors: Older age, male gender, ethnicity, history of prior strokes, genetic risk factors for strokes.
Stroke symptoms can be easily identified with acronym BEFAST: Balance, Eye problems, Facial droop, Arm weakness, Speech change, Time since onset of symptoms.
As soon as stroke is suspected, neuroimaging in the form of CT or MRI brain is needed.