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Stroke

1. What is a stroke?

A stroke is a narrowing lumen of a vessel that carries blood to an area of the brain. Even the smallest symptoms that indicate this condition cannot be ignored, as this can lead to serious consequences. The ability to recognize symptoms and provide first aid as soon as possible is important, as every second counts in this case.

2. How do you recognize a stroke?

Symptoms of a stroke are manifested by a sudden neurological deficit, most often paresis of varying severity affecting one hemisphere of the body. The most common symptoms of a stroke are:

  • fallen corner of the mouth,
  • numbness or disturbed sensation,
  • partial amblyopia,
  • speech disorder,
  • inability to express sentences,
  • hemiparesis (paralysis of one half of the body),
  • muscle weakness on one side of the body.

3. How to conduct a stroke test?

Ask the patient: “smile” – one corner of the mouth drops.

Ask: “repeat the sentence” (e.g. “the weather is nice today”) – the patient will be unable to.

Ask: “Raise both hands” – one goes down.

Ask: “stick out your tongue” – the tongue is tilting or, on one side, it is wrinkled.

4. What do the effects of a stroke depend on?

First of all, the cause of the stroke, also the size of the thrombus and, consequently, the extent of the ischemic area of the brain, and the locus of the brain damage. The effects will also depend on the time after which the treatment is initiated. Ideally, the patient should be admitted to the hospital within the so-called golden hour from the occurrence of first symptoms.

5. What is an ischemic stroke?

An ischemic stroke (also called a cerebral infarction) is a weakening of the brain operation resulting from a clogged arterial vessel. It may be caused by atherosclerotic changes, atrial fibrillation, and decreased blood pressure. It is the most common form of stroke.

6. What is a hemorrhagic stroke?

It is colloquially a cerebral hemorrhage. It is caused by a rupture of a vessel that supplies the brain with blood. Haemorrhagic strokes account for 10-15% of the total number of strokes and have often more severe course than ischemic strokes. Patients may experience unconsciousness or severe headache, nausea and vomiting.

7. What are the causes of a hemorrhagic stroke?

A vessel that ruptures must have previously been damaged as a result of untreated or ineffective treatment of high blood pressure or diabetes. Rarer causes include blood clotting disorders.

8. How is a stroke treated?

First, a neurological interview is conducted, preferably already in an ambulance, the next stage is computed tomography, which allows to assess the extent of losses. International guidelines recommend thrombolysis (that is, the dissolution of a clot as a result of the administration of thrombolytic drugs such as tPA or streptokinase) as soon as possible. This can be done up to 4.5 hours after the onset of an ischemic stroke. Hemorrhagic stroke is treated with medications that reduce brain swelling.

9. Who is at risk of a stroke?

Unfortunately, a stroke can happen to anyone, regardless of age, although the factors contributing to its occurrence are poor eating habits, smoking, lack of exercise and diseases: diabetes, atherosclerosis and hypertension.

10. How soon after a stroke can one use the VR TierOne therapy?

Stroke rehabilitation should be implemented as soon as the patient’s condition is stabilized. In the early phase, the patient using VR TierOne experiences an improvement in well-being, motivation and reduced anxiety. In the subsequent stages of rehabilitation, once movement is possible, VR TierOne supports the concentration and eye-hand coordination of the patient, thanks to his involvement in the performance of tasks in the virtual garden.