Misha Lobban, Contributor

A stroke can happen to anyone, anywhere and anytime. It is said to be the leading cause of serious, long-term disability and can result in memory loss, speech defects and even death. However, the effects of a stroke can be significantly reduced if the warning signs are recognised early and the person gets treatment immediately.

What is a stroke?

Dr. Charmian Webb, family physician at Medical Associates Hospital, explains that a stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain stops abruptly. When that happens, the brain is deprived of blood (and oxygen) it needs to function, and so, within minutes the brain cells begin to die.

There are two types of strokes:

Ischaemic stroke, which is caused by a clot that clogs the blood vessel in the brain.

Haemorrhagic stroke, which is caused by a blood vessel that bleeds into the brain tissue.

There is also the occurrence of a mini stroke, or Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA), where blood flow to the brain is briefly interrupted. Dr. Webb notes that a person will recover fully from TIA with little or no effects, except that it tends to reoccur.

What are the risk factors of a stroke?

The more risk factors a person has, the greater the chance that he or she will have a stroke, but you can change or treat these risk factors to lower your risk.

High blood pressure.

Constant smoking, which causes contraction of the blood vessel and results in poor blood circulation, even for second-hand smokers, states Dr. Webb.

Diabetes (persons with diabetes who are overweight and have high cholesterol increase their risk of a stroke).

Carotid arteries that are located in the neck and supply blood to the brain can be blocked by fatty deposits due to high cholesterol, thus increasing the risk of poor circulation of blood to the brain.

Atrial fibrillation, that is, when the upper chambers of the heart do not beat effectively and may lead to pooling or clotting of the blood. This primarily affects persons with heart disease.

Excessive alcohol (having more than one drink per day will increase a person's blood pressure and can lead to a stroke).

Intravenous drug use, which can block blood veins and increase the risk of a stroke.

High cholesterol.

Dr. Webb advises that persons with one or more of these risk factors should maintain a healthy lifestyle, exercise regularly, eat healthy and visit their doctor regularly in order to reduce the risk of a stroke.

What are the warning signs of a stroke?

The warning signs include:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.

Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding a person's speech.

Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.

Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.

Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

If you observe one or more of these signs do not wait, get to a hospital right away!