What Happens When You Have a Stroke?

A stroke is referred to as the brain's version of a heart attack. Some people even call it a "brain attack." What happens during a brain attack is that the brain doesn't get enough oxygen. When the brain doesn't receive oxygen for a long time, it results in severe damage to the brain. For Brain stroke treatment in Delhi, you should consult the best specialist.

Why Does Oxygen Matter So Much?

The cells in the body need oxygen to make energy. If the body cells don't get oxygen, they die. The blood function is to deliver oxygen throughout your body.

The brain is at the forefront of everything we do. The brain function helps us in our ability to think, sing, feel, and dance. All these functions occur through the brain, and those brain cells need oxygen, too.

The brain requires ample oxygen to function. Though the brain is a small part of our body, it uses most of the oxygen. As the brain can't store oxygen, it needs a steady flow of blood to work well. If the brain does not get oxygen for just 3-4 minutes, brain cells start dying.

With each minute that passes, we start to lose about 2 million brain cells. The longer our brains go without oxygen, the greater the chance of brain damage that can't be undone. If there is insufficient oxygen for about 10 minutes, then damage can be severe.

Reason for Cut-off of Oxygen

This can happen in several ways, with the two types of stroke:

• Ischemic strokes occur when an artery that carries blood to your brain gets choked up, and blood can't flow through it.
• Hemorrhagic strokes take place when a blood vessel in or around your brain leaks or bursts. It's also claimed as a bleeding stroke. This is a rare stroke.

The neurology hospital in Delhi treats both types of Strokes.

What Happens During an Ischemic Stroke?

There are two particular types, and each peculiarly impedes blood flow.

Embolic stroke. In this situation, a clot develops in some part of your body, generally your heart, and starts drifting through your blood vessels. Or a part of plaque (a stockpile of cholesterol, fat, and other items in your arteries) might split off and drift along in your blood.

Ultimately, the clot or chunk of plaque becomes wedged in a small blood vessel in your brain. Once it's fixed, blood flow to that area ceases.

Thrombotic stroke. A clot also precipitates this one in your brain. This time, a clot or blockage forms in one of the arteries that transport blood through your brain. Brain cells commence dying because blood flow is halted.

What Happens During a Hemorrhagic Stroke?

Again, it depends on what type of hemorrhage you have.

Intracerebral hemorrhage: With this type of brain hemorrhage, a blood vessel inside the brain bursts or leaks. This leak impacts how much oxygen the brain gets. But there are some other issues too. The skull is a very hard part of the body, and it doesn't have any given area as your stomach does. As the blood starts to build up, it puts pressure on the brain, resulting in severe damage.

As the blood spreads throughout the brain, it can restrict nerve cells and interfere with their function from sending messages to other parts of your body. This affects how well you speak, remember, and move.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage: This is a hemorrhage when a blood vessel around your brain bursts or leaks. The blood vessels bleed into the area between your brain and the tissues surrounding it. Like with an intracerebral hemorrhage, brain cells get damaged due to lack of oxygen and added pressure. The more blood, the more pressure there is and hence more damage.

In the days after a subarachnoid hemorrhage, you can have other complex problems like vasospasms, when blood vessels in your brain suddenly get narrow. This will keep the blood from flowing freely and may even cause an ischemic stroke. A build-up of the fluid that usually surrounds your brain and spine can also occur, and it results in even more pressure.

Why Do Strokes Affect People in Different Ways?

Different areas of our brain control different things and a stroke can only affect your brain's part. A stroke's effects depend on how bad it is and what part of your brain it has affected. The doctor will evaluate your symptoms to figure out where in your brain the stroke happened. As we know, each side of the brain controls the opposite side of the body. Therefore, a stroke on the brain's left side will affect the right side and vice versa.

With a brain stroke occur on the right side of your brain, you might have:

• Problems evaluating distances and picking things up
• The problem in reading facial expressions or tone of voice
• Paralysis or weakness on your left side

With a brain stroke occur on the left side of your brain, you might have:

• Slurred speech
• Problem getting your words out or understanding others
• Paralysis or weakness on your right side

Visit the best hospital in Delhi for stroke treatment and rehabilitation to improve the quality of living.