Is lacunar infarction a small cerebral infarction? What should I do?

An old man told Huazi that during a brain CT scan at the hospital, lacunar infarction was found. This result scared him a lot, and he asked Huazi what to do, whether lacunar infarction was a small cerebral infarction, whether he would be paralyzed in the future, and what to do?

Huazi said, don't worry too much. Lacunar infarction is different from small cerebral infarction and real cerebral infarction. The treatment of lacunar infarction mainly depends on whether symptoms appear, so different treatment methods are selected.

1. Descriptive terms for imaging

Lacunar infarction, literally speaking, seems to be a type of cerebral infarction. But in fact, it is a descriptive term used in imaging examinations. It refers to the discovery of lesions similar to cerebral infarction in the brain, but they are very small, like "cavities".

The main cause of lacunar infarction is vascular blockage. Small blood vessels branching from the cerebral arteries become blocked, causing a small infarction in the non-cortical area deep in the brain.

There is also a theory that aging-induced degenerative changes in blood vessels and atrophy of brain tissue lead to enlarged gaps in brain tissue, which may show results similar to small-scale infarction in imaging examinations.

2. Different treatment methods for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients

Most lacunar infarctions occur in non-functional areas of the brain, so there are no symptoms. Most people only discover "lacunar infarctions" after undergoing brain CT or MRI examinations for other reasons. This type of "lacunar infarction" without symptoms is more related to aging. Unlike true cerebral infarction, it generally does not require the use of statins or aspirin for prevention.

However, some patients' "cavity infarction" occurs in the functional area, which will cause limb movement disorders. Typical symptoms are weakened unilateral limb strength, or limb numbness, slurred speech, choking when drinking water or eating, etc. For symptomatic "cavity infarction", the treatment method is equivalent to cerebral infarction, and statins and aspirin are needed for preventive treatment to prevent recurrence.

3. Controlling chronic diseases and quitting smoking can reduce the risk

Aging is one of the factors of lacunar infarction. With age, the possibility of atherosclerosis and degenerative changes in the human arterial system increases, which are risk factors for lacunar infarction.

The probability of offspring suffering from cerebral infarction is greatly increased in people with familial ischemic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. For example, if a parent has suffered a cerebral infarction before the age of 55, the risk of their children suffering from cerebral infarction will increase.

Age and genetics are factors that cannot be controlled by humans, but the occurrence of cerebral infarction is also related to factors such as "three highs" chronic diseases, smoking, and obesity.

Chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hyperhomocysteinemia can damage the arterial lining and induce atherosclerosis. Therefore, people with related chronic diseases need to take medication regularly under the guidance of a doctor to control related indicators within the normal range, which can reduce the occurrence of "cavity infarction".

Smoking is even more harmful to blood vessels than the "three highs" and is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, so smokers should quit smoking. Obesity is a hotbed for chronic diseases, cancer and other diseases, so those who are overweight should control their weight.

What everyone needs to understand is that drugs such as statins and aspirin are only used to prevent the recurrence of cerebral infarction. If the "cavity infarction" leads to symptoms of limb dysfunction, the treatment method is equivalent to cerebral infarction, and rehabilitation exercises are required for effective recovery.

In summary, lacunar infarction is different from true cerebral infarction. For asymptomatic "lacunar infarction", you only need to control the underlying disease and maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, for symptomatic "lacunar infarction", the treatment is equivalent to cerebral infarction, and active medication is needed to prevent recurrence. I am pharmacist Huazi, welcome to follow me and share more healthy ways.