What is a Stroke?

A Stroke is a very serious medical condition which should be treated as an emergency. It is a very serious cause of death and long term disability.

There are 2 main types of stroke:

• Thrombotic stroke; which occurs when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain, thereby starving that area of the brain from oxygen (which is carried in the blood)

• Haemorrhagic stroke; which occurs when a bleed occurs in the brain, again depriving areas of the brain from oxygen.

• Thrombotic strokes are much more common than haemorrhagic strokes

It is so important that if you develop symptoms of a stroke, that you call 999 immediately.

There are treatments that can be offered in hospital if you get there soon enough. For example clot busting drugs can be considered in thrombotic strokes if you get to hospital within 4 hours of the start of your symptoms, that is why time matters. So act quick.

What is FAST, and what are the symptoms?

The FAST acronym is used to highlight the important symptoms of a stroke. Remember, if you develop any of these, then call 999:

• Face – the face may have dropped on 1 side, the person may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eye may have dropped.

• Arms – the person with suspected stroke may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness in 1 arm.

• Speech – their speech may be slurred or garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all despite appearing to be awake; they may also have problems understanding what you're saying to them.

• Time – it's time to dial 999 immediately if you see any of these signs or symptoms.

How do I reduce my chances of getting a Stroke?

There are things you can do to reduce your personal chance of developing a stroke:

• Stop Smoking - Smoking increases your risk of stroke, please visit our smoking page for help

• Control your blood pressure - Get your blood pressure checked, if it is raised (more than 140/90) then get in touch. Click for more details about high blood pressure.

• Loose Weight - Being obese increases your risk of stroke. Check your BMI, and if it is high then get visit our weight management page

• Diabetes - If you have diabetes, do what you can to improve your diabetes and therefore reduce your risk

• Irregular heart rhythm - If you have an irregular heart rhythm when feeling your pulse, you may have atrial fibrillation and you should have this checked at the surgery.