When the blood supply to a part of the brain is decreased or interrupted, supply of oxygen and nutrients to brain tissue is obstructed resulting to the death of brain cells. This is known as a Stroke.
Symptoms include:
- sudden severe headache with an unknown cause.
- sudden visual problem in the eye(s)
- sudden speech problem or difficulty understanding speech
- sudden confusion
- sudden numbness or weakness of the muscles of the face, arm or leg mostly on one side of the body
- sudden dizziness
- sudden loss of balance
- sudden difficulty with co-ordination
- sudden walking difficulty
Stroke management involves a team of health professionals (general physician or neurologist or neurosurgeon, nurses, physiotherapists, social worker, neuro-psychologist, speech therapist, occupational therapist etc)
Rehabilitation by a neuro-physiotherapist is very important in stroke recovery.