Effective and safe stroke treatment options & bull; hello healthy

Stroke caused by obstruction or reduced blood supply to the brain can be treated in several ways. However, stroke treatment needs to be done as soon as possible. The sooner emergency treatment is started, the greater the chance of preventing permanent damage to the brain.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, which treatment is effective depends on the type of stroke that affects the patient, whether it is an ischemic stroke or a hemorrhagic stroke.

Ischemic stroke treatment

Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke. This stroke is caused by a blood clot in the brain.

Emergency treatment for ischemic stroke should be started no later than 4.5 hours after the stroke has occurred.

Stroke treatment aims to break down the blockage that interferes with blood flow to the brain.

1. Antiplatelet

When a blood vessel bursts, platelets or pieces of blood will try to cover the wound in the blood vessel by clotting the blood. However, if a blood clot occurs in an artery, there is a risk of triggering a stroke.

Antiplatelets are blood thinners. This drug is useful for preventing blood clots caused by these blood clots.

One of the most common antiplatelet stroke treatments that doctors use in an emergency is acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) or better known as aspirin. Apart from being shown to be effective at thinning blood, aspirin can help channel blood to the affected area.

However, you or other family members should tell the doctor if the patient is already taking aspirin for heart disease or other conditions.

However, some people cannot treat this stroke because they have bleeding problems, allergies, or have certain medical restrictions. Apart from aspirin, several other antiplatelet drugs that can be used are clopidogrel, dipyridamole and ticlopidine.

It is important to know, if you are taking blood thinners for stroke, then you are at risk of bleeding faster than usual when injured.

2. Anticoagulants

Other types of blood-thinning drugs that are useful for curing strokes are anticoagulants. As with anti-platelets, stroke treatment through anticoagulants aims to prevent blood clots from occurring.

This stroke drug is commonly used in people who are at high risk of having a stroke. Anticoagulants used to thin the blood and reduce the risk of future strokes are heparin and warfarin given orally. This stroke medication is usually controlled by examining blood clotting factors through lab tests.

In addition to functioning as a stroke prevention drug, if given in the right dose it can reduce acute damage caused by stroke.

However, anticoagulants can also cause a stroke if consumed carelessly. Therefore, the use of this drug should always follow recommendations and be under the supervision of a doctor.

3. TPA (Tissue Plasminogen Activator)

Your doctor may also give you other drugs to break down blood clots. Treatment of stroke is done by injecting medicine through a thin tube (catheter) into your blood vessel.

The drugs most commonly used to treat stroke are tissue plasminogen activator (TPA). This drug will stop the stroke by stopping the blockage that occurs in the brain.

This drug should be given immediately in less than 4.5 hours after stroke symptoms appear.

4. Catheter embolectomy

If medicines fail to break down the blood clot, and if the stroke is centered in one area (acute), the doctor will perform stroke treatment through a catheter to grab the blockage and remove it manually using a special tool.

The catheter is passed through the blood vessel to the area where the blockage occurred. The blockage is then removed using a tool similar to a corkscrew wine placed at the end of the catheter, or with an unclogging medication given through the catheter.

5. Decompression craniotomy

A severe stroke can cause serious swelling of the brain. Intervention through surgery is the only effective stroke treatment to prevent a more severe impact.

The surgical procedure performed is a decompression craniotomy. This operation is useful to prevent the pressure inside the skull from enlarging to a dangerous level.

In this procedure, the surgeon will open a small part of the skull in the area of ​​the swelling. When the pressure is removed, this opening will be returned.

Hemorrhagic stroke treatment

Unlike ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke treatment does not involve blood-thinning drugs. Thinning the blood will actually increase the amount of blood that is lost from the brain.

If you are already on medication with blood thinners, your doctor may give you other drugs to counter these effects or slow your blood pressure to make bleeding in the brain slower.

1. Operation

Depending on the damage to the blood vessels in the brain, surgery may be needed after you have had a bleeding stroke. Treatment of stroke through surgery can not only repair the damage, but also help prevent future problems.

However, the area affected by the stroke must be close enough to the surface of the brain for the surgeon to have access to these blood vessels. If the surgeon can access the affected blood vessel, he can surgically remove it.

Treatment of a stroke like this can reduce the risk of future blood vessel rupture. However, depending on the location of the aneurysm, this surgical removal may not be possible.

2. Coiling

If the damaged artery is not surgically accessible, catheterization is your option. Using a catheter, other experts will use a technique called coiling or aneurysm embolization.

Once the surgeon finds the ruptured vessel, he will release a coil of wire into the area. This wire is made of soft platinum, smaller than a strand of hair. This wire will function as a net for blood clotting and seal the holes from other arteries.

3. Trimming the aneurysm

Your doctor may recommend other stroke treatments such as trimming your aneurysm. This procedure is performed by permanently attaching a brace to prevent further bleeding or even rupture of the blood vessels.

Aneurysm trimming is a surgical procedure and is usually only recommended if it is coiling expected to be ineffective. Pruning is a more invasive procedure in comparison coiling.

4. Rehabilitation after stroke

Stroke treatment may still be ongoing after the healing period. This will depend on the extent of the damage and which part of your brain was affected.

For example, if the stroke occurs in the right side of the brain, you may need physical rehabilitation that focuses on walking up and down stairs, dressing yourself up, or feeding your mouth, because the right side of the brain controls visual-spatial functions.

You may also have to undergo rehabilitation or corrective action to help with breathing, vision, bowel and bladder control, speech, and other problems.

Advanced stroke prevention

After performing stroke treatment, the doctor will evaluate the health of your blood vessels. Some preventive steps will also be suggested to you to prevent further strokes.

1. Lifestyle changes

Post-stroke prevention generally focuses on improving heart health. This means lowering blood pressure or managing cholesterol and fatty acids (lipids) by avoiding certain foods. You may need to combine exercise, a healthy diet, and medication.

2. Carotid endarterectomy

Carotid endarterectomy is an operation performed on patients who exhibit stroke-like symptoms such as transient ischemic stroke (TIA) or known as a mild stroke. In this procedure, the surgeon will remove plaque and blood clots from the vessels in your neck.