Premonition and treatment of stroke

Author: Chen Yin Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital

Reviewer: Cao Xuemei, Chief Physician of Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital

If one day you suddenly find yourself having a severe headache, wanting to vomit, wanting to sleep, feeling numbness on one side of your limbs or face, having difficulty speaking, or seeing things blurry and with shadows, having tinnitus, having trouble hearing, being unable to hold things steady, walking unsteadily, and falling easily, please be highly alert. Because these symptoms are the brain's distress signals, indicating that a stroke is about to occur or is already in the early stages. At this time, if you are alone, how can you save yourself?

1. Try to stay calm and don’t panic

Call for help immediately: If you find that you may be having a stroke, call the emergency number (120) immediately and inform the dispatcher of your symptoms, location and contact information. Time is of the essence in the treatment of stroke. The earlier you get treatment, the better the prognosis. At the same time, let your family or friends know about your situation as soon as possible so that they can help deal with it.

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2. What to do when waiting for rescue

Correct posture: Find a safe place to lie down to avoid falling. Lie flat and tilt your head to one side as much as possible, which helps keep the airway open and prevent vomit from being aspirated. If possible, use a pillow or other object to raise your head to relieve head pressure.

Avoid movement: While waiting for help, try to avoid moving or exerting force on your own to avoid aggravating the condition. If you must move, do it slowly with the help of family or friends.

Record time: Remembering the time when symptoms occur is very important for subsequent treatment and evaluation.

3. Medical treatment

Rapid transfer: When emergency personnel arrive, they will quickly assess your condition and take necessary first aid measures, and then quickly transfer you to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Medical evaluation: Upon arrival at the hospital, your doctor will conduct a comprehensive medical evaluation, including a neurological examination, imaging tests (such as CT, MRI), etc., to determine the type and severity of the stroke.

Targeted treatment: Based on the evaluation results, the doctor will develop an individualized treatment plan. For ischemic stroke, thrombolytic therapy, antiplatelet therapy, or anticoagulant therapy may be used; for hemorrhagic stroke, blood pressure control and intracranial pressure reduction may be required.

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4. Subsequent rehabilitation and relapse prevention

Rehabilitation therapy: After the condition stabilizes, rehabilitation therapy should be started as soon as possible. Rehabilitation therapy includes physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, etc., which aims to help restore damaged nerve function and improve the quality of life.

Management of underlying diseases: If you have underlying diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, etc., you should regularly check your blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipids and other indicators, and take appropriate medication and dietary adjustments to reduce the risk of stroke recurrence.

Lifestyle adjustment: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is very important to prevent stroke recurrence. This includes a balanced diet, moderate exercise, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol, maintaining adequate sleep and a positive attitude.

Regular follow-up: Stroke patients should go to the hospital for regular follow-up examinations to detect and deal with possible problems in a timely manner. The doctor will develop a follow-up plan based on the patient's specific situation and provide corresponding guidance and suggestions.

In short, if you find that you may have had a stroke, you should take emergency self-help measures immediately and seek medical treatment as soon as possible. At the same time, you should also pay attention to the importance of follow-up rehabilitation and prevention work to reduce the risk of stroke recurrence and improve the quality of life.