Before we look are the 5 warning signs of a stroke, let’s look at what a stroke is and the causes of stroke.

What is a Stroke and How does it Occur?

A devastating medical illness, known as stroke occurs when there is an impaired flow of blood to the brain due to broken blood vessels, this series of events can lead to poor inflow of oxygen leading to the tissues death.

Considering the poor distribution of blood to the brain, brain cells begin to die, and the part of the body controlled by the brain cells become affected with symptoms like weakness in the body, paralysis of body parts, difficulty in thinking as well as breathing, and victims of a stroke may experience numbness of the face.

Early View Of Stroke

The cause and implication of stroke are currently understood by doctors, although the conditions were not well understood at first, the term stroke was discovered about 2,400 years ago by Hippocrates, famously known as the “father of medicine” he called the condition apoplexy, a greek terminology that means, “struck by violence”. It explains the changes that occur with a stroke, but not its effects on the brain parts.

Jacob Wepfer in the late 1600s discovered the blood supply of victims who died of apoplexy had a disruption in the supply of blood to the brain, other systems such as massive bleeding into the brain which leads to blocked arteries.

Stroke Today

As medical science evolves, the field of medical sciences continues its fascinating discoveries concerning symptoms, causes and treatment of apoplexy, these new discoveries led to the division of apoplexy into categories based on the causes of the condition. Thereafter, apoplexy was known as a stroke and cerebrovascular accident (CVA).

In today’s world, doctors have knowledge of two kinds of stroke, which are Ischemic stroke and Hemorrhagic stroke.

Ischemic Stroke: Is the most common of the two kinds of stroke, it occurs when a blood clot lodges in the brain, therefore blocking blood flow to various areas of the brain.

Hemorrhagic Stroke: this occurs when a blood vessel in the brain breaks open, which leads to the accumulation of blood in the brain. The location and number of cells affected by the brain will determine the severity of the stroke in humans.

Historical Treatment Of Stroke

The earliest known stroke treatment was in the 1800s when surgery was done by surgeons, on the carotid arteries. The supply of blood to the brain is the primary duty of the arteries.

Developed cloth in the carotid arteries are responsible for stroke in the human body carotid arteries were operated by surgeons to reduce cholesterol build-up and remove a blockage which has a high possibility of leading to stroke.

In the United states the first documented carotid arteries surgery was performed by Dr Amos Twitchell in New Hampshire, today in the 21st century it is known as carotid endarterectomy.

Stroke In Nigeria

The most populous black country is no stranger to illnesses, with stroke leading the chat, and other illnesses such as malaria, HIV and AIDs, and many others. Based on WHO, Nigerian illness could worsen over the next two decades, Nigeria has a high rate of stroke and it is increasing to about 1.14 per 1000, this medical illness is lacking proper research, as well as poor funding for high-quality research.

As an Africans, it is best to prevent stroke with the following steps:

Lower blood pressure: High blood pressure is one of the factors enhancing stroke, it increases the risk of stroke in the human body. One of the best ways of preventing stroke is to monitor your blood pressure, treating your blood pressure if it elevates is a major difference to human health.

To prevent high blood pressure:

Stop smoking: smoking is the most common amongst Nigerians, this affects your blood pressure and it is advisable to stop.
Exercise at least 30 minutes daily, helps stimulate the flow of blood to the brain and thereby eliminating the chances of stroke.
Reduce the intake of salt into the body, consuming more than 1,500 milligrams of salt a day is harmful.

Reduce the intake of Alcoholic drinks: Alcohol in little percentage is okay to the body system and it also helps in reducing the chances of stroke.

To reduce intake of alcoholic drinks,
Avoid having more than one glass of alcohol a day. Normalise regular intake of water.

Treat Diabetes: High blood sugar damages blood vessels and this leads to a possible blood clot in the blood system, leading to stroke.

This could be achieved through:

Engaging in diet routine and regular exercise.
Monitoring your sugar level on a regular basis.
Taking diabetes supplements or teas that lowers blood sugars

What are the 5 Warning Signs of a Stroke

Stoke has a fetal effect on the human brain and body, every moment is very important so as to reduce the damages that can occur. Knowledge of the signs and symptoms of the stroke helps for quick actions and will save a life and possibly yours:

Numbness or weakness in the face, arms, legs, especially on one side of the body.
Trouble in speaking, difficulty in understanding and a long state of confusion.
Sudden eye issues, in either one or both sides of the eye.
Loss of coordination, loss of balance, and problems in walking.
Severe headache with no traceable root.

Stay safe, your health is in your own hands, it is cheaper to stay healthy, and it is expensive to get treated, prevention is way better.