Stroke: recognise the signs and act quickly

---

Extract from the article: Detecting the first symptoms of a stroke is the best way to prevent any after-effects. The earlier you intervene, the lower the risk of death and after-effects.

---

Detecting the first symptoms of a stroke is the best way to prevent any after-effects. The earlier you intervene, the lower the risk of death and after-effects.

Recent studies carried out at the Sylvanus Olympio and Campus University Hospital Centres in Lomé have shown that more than 50% of patients admitted in hospital are affected, in neurology departments and the number of stroke cases is constantly rising. The national stroke situation is alarming. Professor Mofou Bélo, a specialist in neurology and neurovascular pathologies and Head of the Non-Communicable Diseases Division at the Ministry of Health, pointed out that in 2022, some 3,850 people were admitted to hospital with a stroke. In Lome alone, 2,500 people suffered strokes. Around 1,000 people died as a result. This information was given on 21 October 2023, during an awareness-raising campaign on stroke, organised by the 3A association (Ananias, Azarias Misaël).

Ischaemic, haemorrhagic: what are the different types of stroke?

Stroke is caused by a sudden lack of blood flow to part of the brain.The brain tissue is no longer supplied with blood and the neurons die. It is an absolute medical emergency that must be treated quickly to increase the chances of survival and prevent damage to parts of the brain, causing paralysis or intellectual disability.

There are two types of stroke: ischaemic stroke, when an artery in the brain is blocked by a blood clot (80% of cases), and haemorrhagic stroke, when an artery bursts, causing a cerebral haemorrhage.Hypertension,obesity, diabetes, a history of cardiovascular disease, smoking and excess bad cholesterol (LDL) are the main risk factors.

In 20% of cases, stroke is preceded by a transient ischaemic attack (TIA).The warning signs are the same, but they only last a few minutes.‘If these transient ischaemic attacks are treated within 48 hours, a stroke can be avoided in 80% of cases", stresses Dr Michaël Obadia, Head of the Neurovascular Unit at the Fondation opthalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild (Paris).

How do you know if you're having a stroke? What are the symptoms?

When a stroke occurs, the first few hours are crucial.Stroke manifests itself in different ways depending on the area of the brain affected. If a stroke occurs suddenly, one or more of these five signs should raise an alarm: paralysis, weakness or numbness in part or half of the body, deformity of the mouth, difficulty speaking (speech impediment), sudden loss of vision in one eye or part of the visual field, problems with balance, coordination or walking, and an intense and unusual headache.

William O.