A difficult medical condition to manage now with modern technology, stroke will be every bit as common in an uncertain future. Maybe even more common as stress levels rise. How can we prepare?
A stroke occurs when brain cells die due to restricted
circulation to the brain. Which brain
cells die determine the effects the stroke has.
There are two kinds of stroke:
- The cerebrovascular accident (CVA) stroke symptoms are still present to some extent 24 hours later.
- The transient ischemic attack (TIA), or resolved stroke or mini-stroke, symptoms are completely resolved within 24 hours.[1] (Note that about 20% of TIA patients will have a major stroke in the near future. Get diabetes, hypertension, and heart issues under control ASAP to reduce the stroke risk.[2])
In addition, there are two types of stroke syndromes:
- In a hemispheric stroke, the patient presents with one-sided weakness or altered sensation. In addition, there may be speech, swallowing, and/or comprehension difficulties.
- With a cerebellar stroke, the patient exhibits problems with balance, coordination, and/or speech.[3]
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
In an effort to help the public quickly identify a stroke and call for emergency help, medical associations have introduced several acronyms. Most Americans are familiar with FAST:
FAST screening test:
- Facial symmetry
- Arm droop
- Speech problems
- Time to call 911
BE FAST was introduced in 2022. It includes:
- Balance and coordination
- Eyes—sudden blurred or double vision or loss of vision, without any pain
- Facial symmetry
- Arm droop
- Speech problems
- Time to call 911
FASTER
- Facial symmetry
- Arm droop
- Stability on the feet
- Talking—changes in speech or inability to respond properly
- Eyes—loss of vision or partial loss, or blurred or double vision
- React—call 911
Men and women commonly experience the above signs and symptoms. However, the signs of a stroke in women can also be more subtle, often resulting in unfortunate delays in treatment. Women may exhibit these symptoms:
Less common symptoms:
- Face may be flushed[12] or it may become pale[13]
- Pupils often unequal[14]
- Pulse is full and rapid[15] (Werner says strong and slow.) [16]
- Breathing is labored and irregular[17] [18]
- Mouth may be drawn to one side[19]
- Difficulty in speaking and swallowing[20]
- Rapidly developing loss of consciousness[21]
- Flabby, relaxed paralysis of the affected side of the body[22]
- Severe headache[23]
In more serious cases the patient may be comatose for hours or days.[24] When a stroke is fatal, death usually occurs within 2-14 days.[25] The extent of permanent paralysis won’t be able to be determined for up to six months.[26]
TREATMENT
With modern technology and rapid emergency care, many of the potential effects of strokes can be mitigated or entirely resolved. Without hospitals, treatment becomes more primitive.
Administer 300 mg aspirin at the first sign. Implement a daily aspirin or willow-bark tea regiment for preventing recurrence.[27]
Folk remedies include administering 2 full droppers of cayenne tincture under the tongue at the first sign.[28] Lavender oil aromatherapy within the first 24 hours of a stroke was shown to reduce permanent effects in mice.[29] Lamb’s quarter, DMSO, and magnesium oil may also prove helpful in mitigating long-term effects.
Patients able to swallow may be given liquids and soft foods.
Unconscious patients should be placed in bed with the head, trunk of body, and shoulders elevated slightly on pillows and on the left side.[30] The head should be turned to the side so that fluids can flow out of the mouth. No food, drink, or medicine should be given by mouth.[31] The patient should be turned every 3-4 hours to prevent bedsores.[32]
The statistics show that 10% of stroke patients will experience complete recovery; 25% will be minimally impaired. Most recovery is seen soon after the event. However, rehabilitation therapy will facilitate further improvements.[33] Alton’s Survival Medicine Handbook, 4th Edition, provides the most direction for stroke rehab among the top off-grid medicine texts.
PREVENTION
Most of the recommendations for preventing a stroke are the same as those for preventing a heart attack:
- Exercise
- Healthy diet
- No tobacco or alcohol
- Good management of medical conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes[34]
In addition, laughing daily has also been shown to reduce the risk of stroke. So break out the comic books.
Note. If a younger or middle aged person suddenly develops paralysis on one side of the face, lacking any other signs of stroke, it is most likely Bell’s palsy, a temporary paralysis of the facial nerve. It usually resolves on its own in a few weeks or months and the cause is usually unknown. No treatment is necessary. If, however, an eye doesn’t close at night, it should be bandaged closed to prevent the eye from drying out.[35] A test to differentiate between Bell’s palsy and a stroke is that a patient with Bell’s palsy usually cannot lift the eyebrow on the affected side, whereas a stroke victim usually can.[36]
Links to related posts:
[1] Survival and Austere Medicine, 3rd Edition, 2017, 129.
[2] Joseph Alton, et al., Survival Medicine Handbook, 4th Edition, 2021, 196.
[3] Survival and Austere Medicine, 3rd Edition, 2017, 129.
[4] Ship’s Medicine Chest, 1978, 219.
[5] https://www.stroke.org/en/about-stroke/stroke-symptoms
[6] Ship’s Medicine Chest, 1978, 219.
[7] https://www.stroke.org/en/about-stroke/stroke-symptoms
[8] https://www.stroke.org/en/about-stroke/stroke-symptoms
[9] https://www.stroke.org/en/about-stroke/stroke-symptoms
[10] https://www.stroke.org/en/about-stroke/stroke-symptoms
[11] Ship’s Medicine Chest, 1978, 219.
[12] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1992, 327.
[13] Ship’s Medicine Chest, 1978, 219.
[14] Ship’s Medicine Chest, 1978, 219.
[15] Ship’s Medicine Chest, 1978, 219.
[16] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1992, 327.
[17] Ship’s Medicine Chest, 1978, 219.
[18] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1992, 327.
[19] Ship’s Medicine Chest, 1978, 219.
[20] Ship’s Medicine Chest, 1978, 219.
[21] Ship’s Medicine Chest, 1978, 219.
[22] Ship’s Medicine Chest, 1978, 219.
[23] Ship’s Medicine Chest, 1978, 219.
[24] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1992, 327.
[25] Ship’s Medicine Chest, 1978, 219.
[26] Ship’s Medicine Chest, 1978, 219.
[27] Survival and Austere Medicine, 3rd Edition, 2017, 129.
[28] Alton.
[29] Dong Wang, et al., Neuroprotective Activity of Lavender Oil on Transient Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Mice, Molecules, August 2012, Vol 17 No 8, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22895026 (accessed 20 March 2023).
[30] Joseph Alton, et al., Survival Medicine Handbook, 4th Edition, 2021, 197.
[31] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1992, 327.
[32] Ship’s Medicine Chest, 1978, 219.
[33] Joseph Alton, et al., Survival Medicine Handbook, 4th Edition, 2021, 197.
[34] Survival and Austere Medicine, 3rd Edition, 2017, 129.
[35] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1992, 327.
[36] Cynthia Koelker, Armageddon Medicine, 2012, 532.
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