How do doctors diagnose a stroke? & bull; hello healthy

The diagnosis of stroke is generally not that complicated, but it requires a combination of fast medical personnel, technology, and a little luck, so that all the right testing and treatment can be done. The following are some of the tests that doctors do to diagnose a stroke.

Neurological examination

Apart from identifying the symptoms of stroke, physical examination, diagnosis is also carried out through neurological tests. This test is done to determine the decline in brain function that allows a person to have a stroke.

Each neurological examination session is carried out on a different part of the brain, which includes:

Alertness or awareness
Speech, language and memory functions
Sight and eye movements
Sensation and movement of the hands and feet
Reflex motion
The ability to walk and balance

Computed Tomography (CT) Scan

This test is performed in the emergency room to detect hemorrhagic strokes.

A computed tomography (CT) scan is an effective way to detect this disease because apart from being able to easily detect bleeding within the brain, this test can also do it quickly.

CT scans can also detect ischemic stroke, but within 6-12 hours of the event.

Lumbar puncture

Also known as a “spinal tap,” this test is sometimes performed in an emergency room when there is a strong likelihood of a hemorrhagic stroke from a CT scan that shows unclear blood flow. This test is done by inserting a needle into an area in the lower part of the spine that is safe enough to collect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

This is one of the most helpful tests in the diagnosis of stroke because it can detect a stroke within minutes of the occurrence of the event. The results of brain imaging are even better when compared to CT scans. Therefore, MRI is the most preferred test for diagnosing stroke. A special type of MRI called Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) allows doctors to precisely visualize narrowing or blockage of blood vessels in the brain.

Transcranial Doppler (TCD)

This test uses sound waves to determine blood flow through the major blood vessels in the brain. A narrow area of blood vessels indicates a faster flow of blood than a normal area. This information can be used by doctors to track the progress of blocked blood vessels.

Another important use of TCD is for monitoring of vessels in the area around the occurrence of hemorrhagic strokes, where the blood vessels have a tendency to experience “vasospasm” contractions which are harmful to the walls of blood vessels and can block blood flow.

Brain Angiography

Stroke specialists use this test to look at blood vessels in the neck and brain. In this test, the doctor will inject a special dye into the carotid arteries that can be seen using X-rays and the blood will automatically carry this substance to the brain. If a blood vessel is either completely or partially blocked, or there may be a disturbance in another blood vessel in the brain, no or only a small amount of the dye will be carried away in the bloodstream can be seen with this test.

The most common cause of stroke is narrowing of the carotid arteries, carotid stenosis which is usually the result of cholesterol buildup along the walls of blood vessels. This condition can also be diagnosed with a test called carotid duplex, which uses sound waves that are passed through these blood vessels.

Based on the degree of narrowing and the symptoms you feel, surgery is needed to remove plaque from the blocked artery.

Brain angiography can also help doctors diagnose conditions associated with hemorrhagic strokes, namely aneurysms and malformations of the anterior veins.

After a stroke is diagnosed, new tests will need to be done to find out the cause of the stroke.

Electrocardiogram

This test, also known as an EKG or ECG, helps doctors identify problems related to the heart's electrical conduction. Usually, the heart beats in a regular rhythm, a rhythmic pattern that indicates the smooth flow of blood to the brain and other organs of the body. However, when the heart has a disturbance in its electrical conduction, the heart will beat irregularly and this is a condition of arrhythmia, where the heartbeat is irregular.

Arrhythmias, like atrial fibrillation, can lead to the formation of blood clots in the chambers of the heart. This blood clot can at any time travel to the brain and cause a stroke.

Transthoracic Echocardiogram (TTE)

This test, also known as an "echo test", uses sound waves to look for blood clots or sources of embolism in the heart. In addition, it is also used to look for abnormalities in heart function that trigger blood clots or clots to form in the chambers of the heart. Tests are also used to investigate whether blood clots from the legs can travel to the brain.

Foot Ultrasound

Doctors usually perform this test on stroke patients diagnosed with a patent foramen ovale. This test uses sound waves to look for blood clots in the inner leg veins, which are deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT can cause stroke. Initially, small fragments of DVT will be released and carried to the heart via venous circulation. Once in the heart, the blood clot travels from the right side to the left side of the heart through the PFO, where it is pushed out through the aorta and carotid arteries to the brain, eventually causing a stroke.