Headache? Could be brain attack

BANGALORE: Are you suffering from a persistent headache, sudden onset of weakness on one side of the body, loss of sensation or imbalance while walking? Don't wish these symptoms away. It could be a 'brain attack'.

While the term 'brain attack' is new, the condition is not. 'Brain attack', popularly known as 'stroke', is the third leading cause of death in the developed world. While two in every 1,000 persons are prone to brain attack, India witnesses two million new cases every year.

To draw attention to stroke and its catastrophic nature, neurologists are now trying to popularize the term 'brain attack' as it underlines the urgency with which the situation has to be addressed. While both heart attack and brain attack have equally devastating effects, heart attack is easily and widely understood as 'dangerous'. This is not the case with brain attack, rued doctors.

Dr N K Venkataramana, neurosurgeon and vice-chairman of BGS Global Hospitals, said: "In brain attack, the blockage of blood flow or bleeding into the brain depletes glucose and oxygen in the brain, resulting in irreversible damage. It causes paralysis, loss of speech and even death."

Awareness extends to access to emergency care, say hospitals, which are now working towards reducing the risk of mis-diagnosis and neglect. "Creating stand-alone stroke clinics helps. The first three-hour period after a brain attack is considered a 'golden hour'. Proper diagnosis followed by immediate medical attention can reverse a brain attack. To differentiate stroke symptoms from others, we need to educate the community and train physicians."

Strokes manifest themselves in two complex forms. 'Ischemic', where blood flow to a part of the brain is blocked due to a blood clot and accounts for almost 80% of all strokes, and 'haemorrhagic' where blood leaks out of the blood vessels of the brain following rupture. A CT scan would show these up. "Treatment involves administering clot-dissolving drugs to bring about a dramatic improvement in paralysis. To prevent recurrence, we give drugs which prevent clots and advise control of other risk factors," explained the doctor.

Another option is surgery. "A clot in the carotid artery is removed by endarterectomy to improve blood flow. Swelling in the brain is treated by removing a flap of the overlying skull bone. This provides extra space for the swollen brain and is life-saving."

 

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