It is very important in case of stroke to give the person first aid. It is necessary in order to prevent the development of irreversible processes in the brain. For this, first aid should be provided in the first 3 hours. In this case, there is a chance that the outcome of the current situation will be favorable. Below you will find instructions on what to do in case of a stroke.
How to identify a stroke
Under such a medical concept as a stroke, there is a disruption in the functions of the brain, which has a transient nature. The cause of this failure is a violation of blood supply due to ischemia, blockage of blood vessels or the presence of thrombi or atherosclerotic plaques. And the result of a stroke is the death of brain cells. The affected area can not function normally, so one side of the human body can be paralyzed. Before providing first aid for stroke, it is necessary to determine the type of this condition by characteristic signs.
Pre-stroke status of
It is dangerous not only to have a stroke, but also a condition that precedes it. The lack of first aid even in this case often entails consequences that lead to the same health problems. Signs of the pre-stroke state are:
- severe headache;
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- dizziness;
- sharp increase or decrease in blood pressure;
- sensations of noise in the ears;
- vision impairment;
- flashing "flies" in the eyes;
- strong palpitations and rapid breathing;
- appearance of a "curve" of a smile;
- strong blood flow to the face;
- speech impairment;
- numbness in the hands or feet;
- surrounding objects are seen reddish.
Symptoms of a stroke in a person
First aid for stroke depends on its type. This disease can be:
- Ischemic. It is noted in 75% of cases and is called another cerebral infarction. The cause is a violation of passage through the arteries of blood due to narrowing of the walls or blockage. After this stroke, there are paralyzes that are difficult to treat.
- Hemorrhagic. It is a hemorrhage in the brain. It is observed when the blood vessel ruptures. The cause is often physical or emotional fatigue.
Symptoms that indicate each of the 2 types of stroke differ. Symptoms of ischemic growth gradually and even can appear in a few days. The person at the same time begins to feel:
- dizziness;
- weakness and malaise in one side of the body;
- headache attacks;
- blurred vision;
- speech impairment;
- convulsions;
- gradual numbness of the limbs;
- clouding of the mind;
- nausea and vomiting.
Hemorrhagic stroke manifests itself otherwise. It appears suddenly due to rupture of the walls of the vessel at high pressure on them. Often the patient begins to feel a headache at the end of the day, which is accompanied by nausea. Then all the surrounding objects begin to see reddish. In addition to these very first symptoms of stroke in humans, the following can be observed:
- loss of orientation;
- distortion of speech;
- is a rare and intense pulse;
- enhanced salivation;
- sudden increase in temperature and pressure;
- appearance of perspiration on the forehead;
- state of slight stunnedness;
- severe loss of consciousness;
- loud breathing with wheezing;
- vomiting;
- paralysis on one side of the body;
- involuntary movement of healthy limbs;
- strong pulse on the neck;
- deviation of the eyes to the side of the lesion.
First-aid first aid
In those areas of the brain where there is no blood flow, neurons die in just 10 minutes. If the blood supply is less than 30%, then this time increases to 1 hour. If the percentage is within the limits of 30 to 40%, then for 3-6 hours neurons can still be restored. For this reason, first aid for stroke should be provided no later than 3 hours after the onset of this condition. Otherwise, irreversible changes in the brain can not be avoided.
Doctors still increase the so-called therapeutic window for first aid up to 4.5 hours. This is the maximum period that a person can be without thrombolytic therapy. Within 6 hours there are still those cells among those who died from ischemia, which are amenable to recovery provided they return normal blood supply. Even with this condition, the first medical aid for acute heart failure and stroke still needs to be provided no later than 3 hours.
A separate and effective method of first aid in case of a stroke is bloodletting. The procedure is a puncture on the fingers. When the patient has a distortion of the mouth, you can do the same on the ear lobes, before massaging them before redness. You can do this after the basic first aid measures, especially if the victim does not regain consciousness. The sequence of actions is as follows:
- disinfect the needle with fire, holding it over the flame;
- make 10 punctures on the tips of the pads around the nails on the victim's hands;
- squeeze your finger if the blood has not flowed yet;
- wait until the blood goes out of all fingers - the patient must awaken at the same time.
What to do with micro strokes
Officially, there is no such medical term as a microinsult. This term is called the state when the cerebral circulation is disturbed. Most often it manifests itself only for a few minutes and itself passes through the day. In addition to dizziness, headache, nausea and general weakness, the microstroke manifests itself in other ways:
- sensitivity to loud sound and bright light;
- decreased visual acuity;
- hearing or speech impairment;
- problems with arterial pressure;
- sleepiness.
To check a person for a small stroke, you can simply ask him to raise his hands: one of them will be lower than the other. With such symptoms, be sure to call an ambulance and provide emergency assistance according to the following algorithm:
- Put the person on the bed, putting several pillows under your head.
- Loosen the neck from excess clothing or accessories to ensure normal breathing and circulation.
- Open the air intake windows.
- Do not give a person any medications, especially dilating blood vessels.
- Provide warmth to the victim with a warmer and a blanket.
- Constantly bring a person to life if he loses consciousness.
- If vomiting occurs, cleanse the oral cavity from the released mass.
In case of ischemic stroke
First of all, immediately call the neurological ambulance team, informing them about the suspicion of a stroke. Then, completely focus on the victim by performing the following actions:
- Lay the patient so that the head and shoulders are raised. The angle should be about 30 degrees.
- Use cotton wool soaked in wine vinegar or ammonia to bring the patient to consciousness.
- Do not let the patient's tongue fall - always watch your breathing.
- Limit any medication other than glycine or piracetam.
- Every half hour, sprinkle the face and neck of a person with cold water.
- Use a soft brush or towel to rub the limbs and body of the affected person.
- Provide warmth to the feet of a person by attaching a heating pad and covering with a blanket.
Hemorrhagic stroke
First aid for a stroke of hemorrhagic nature is carried out almost the same technique as with ischemic, but it has its own nuances. It is important to provide it very quickly, because this type of disease is marked by rapid development, which is why the risk of consequences dangerous for life, and even death is great. For this reason, first aid measures for stroke should be urgent. Perform them in the following order:
- Place patient on bed, on floor or ground with raised shoulders and head.
- Provide the victim with peace and complete immobilization.
- Remove or unfasten all compressive clothing to prevent breathing.
- If there are prostheses in the mouth - remove them.
- Head slightly to the side.
- Clean your mouth of vomiting with a natural cloth, such as gauze.
- Any cold product should be applied to the side of the head in which there is no numbness.
- Keep the victim's feet warm.
- Rub limbs with a mixture of 1 part alcohol and 2 parts oil.
Emergency first aid
Call an ambulance for the first signs of a stroke. Upon arrival, physicians conduct a set of activities that are aimed at restoring or maintaining respiratory and cardiac activity. Urgent help with strokes also have medical drugs. Today, 1% Semax was more often used in medical practice, which is included in the laying of an ambulance brigade. In addition to this drug in the form of drops affected by a stroke can inject drugs intravenously, for example, Cerebrolysin and Nootropil. After this, the patient is hospitalized.