To put it graphically, cerebral ischemia is the brain equivalent of myocardial infarction. It occurs when blood flow to an area of the brain is cut off by a clot or some other problem. If the blood flow does not recover in a certain period of time, the cells in the affected area begin to die and this causes injuries and damage that can leave sequelae.
Are cerebral ischemia and stroke the same?
Yes, cerebral ischemia and ischemic stroke are terms that are used interchangeably, just as colloquially they are also called embolism, stroke, cerebral infarction or stroke.
What Causes Brain Ischemia
It may be because a clot has developed in an artery in the brain, or a clot has reached it from other areas of the body. It can also be caused by an injury or narrowing of a blood vessel in the brain.
These are the symptoms of a cerebral ischemia
Knowing the symptoms of cerebral ischemia can save your life. Take note.
- Muscular weakness. You feel weakness and lack of strength in one arm or leg. It can be accompanied by numbness, tingling, and less sensitivity. This can also affect the face.
- Sudden loss of vision The affected person may see blurry, double, or may even lose vision in one or both eyes for a few moments.
- Sudden memory loss It has nothing to do with memory losses that occur with age, but will generally be accompanied by a general feeling of great mental confusion.
- Difficulty speaking If suddenly the affected person cannot speak or does so using the wrong words.
- Coordination problems. Difficulty coordinating movements, trouble walking or a feeling of vertigo or dizziness (if you have doubts about this, take into account the causes of dizziness when getting up and what to do in each case).
- A sudden headache. By not receiving blood or oxygen, the brain may complain of a very severe headache with no apparent cause.
Test to detect symptoms of cerebral ischemia early
- Raise your arms. If one of the arms falls down, it is a very clear symptom.
- Smile. An asymmetrical smile is a symptom of stroke.
- Talk. If it's hard to repeat a simple phrase, it's time to call the emergency room.
Transient cerebral ischemia: a special case
When the blood flow recovers within 24 hours and there is no death of the brain tissue, we speak of a transient cerebral ischemia. Symptoms usually last a few minutes or more usually between 1 and 2 hours, although it is considered transient up to 24 hours.
The symptoms that warn of ischemia are always the same, whether it is transitory or not.
What to do if you think you have transient ischemia
Quickly call the emergency room and activate the stroke code. Remember that in these pathologies time is money and that you do not go to the hospital. They take you. Since they can already treat you in the ambulance itself.
Speed saves lives and prevents sequelae or that these are more serious.
Surely, even if it is temporary, they will hospitalize you and monitor you to make sure that the blood flow in the brain has resumed without problems and there are no other complications.
Doctors will try to determine what has caused it - it is usually a problem of high blood pressure -, they will review your habits and diet and they may also prescribe drugs to reduce blood clotting.
To prevent cerebral ischemia, you must adopt the same habits that help you take care of your heart.
