World Stroke Day is on Tuesday 29 October 2024 which is an annual focal point for stroke awareness activity around the world.
1 in 4 worldwide will have a stroke in their lifetime. Awareness of the prevention and symptoms of stroke is crucial.
This year’s campaign is aimed at highlighting the importance of stroke prevention and is using the power of sport to encourage people to be #GreaterThan stroke.
How to get involved with World Stroke Day 2024
This year, the World Stroke Organisation has launched the World Stroke Day #GreaterThan stroke active challenge with the aim of calling on everyone to commit to some kind of daily physical activity.
The World Stroke Organisation website contains information and support available, see here.
What is a stroke?
A stroke is when blood stops flowing to a part of your brain. It can affect things like speech and movement. There are different types of stroke:
- Ischaemic Stroke
Ischemic strokes occur as a result of an obstruction in a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain. An obstruction of blood flow in the blood vessel can cause a blood clot to form. Blood vessels can also be blocked by a blood clot that has formed in another part of the body, usually the heart or large arteries of the upper chest and neck.
- Haemorrhagic Stroke
Haemorrhagic strokes occur when a weakened blood vessel ruptures and bleeds into the brain which mounts up and creates pressure on the surrounding brain tissue.
- Transient Ischemic Attack
A transient ischemic attack (TIA or mini-stroke) can occur as a result of a temporary disruption in the blood supply to an area of the brain. This can cause symptoms similar to a stroke but unlike a stroke, these symptoms can pass quickly and usually fully resolve within 24 hours.
Many survivors of stroke are affected in the way they think, talk, move, and feel and will live the rest of their lives with some form of disability or impairment which causes practical, emotional, and financial challenges.
What are the symptoms of stroke?
Understanding the signs of stroke and getting urgent emergency medical treatment can save lives and reduce disability.
The main symptoms of stroke can be remembered with the word FAST:
- Face – the face may have dropped on one side. The person may be unable to smile or their mouth or eye may have dropped.
- Arms – the person may be unable to lift both of their arms and keep them up because of weakness or numbness in one arm.
- Speech – the person’s speech may become slurred or the person may be unable to talk at all despite appearing to be awake. They may also have problems understanding what you are saying.
- Time – it is time to seek urgent emergency medical attention if any of of the above symptoms are recognised.
Importance of prompt diagnosis
Stroke is a medical emergency. Early recognition of the signs and symptoms is vital to ensure effective and potentially lifesaving treatment.
Strokes are the fourth largest cause of deaths in England, and in addition, even when a person survives, stroke causes a greater range of disabilities than any other condition in the UK.
Delays in diagnosis can be deadly. The right treatment, fast, can save lives and reduce the devastation that a stroke can cause.
Comment
Raising awareness via annual campaigns such as World Stroke Day is vital so that more people are aware of the signs and symptoms to look out for and seek treatment as soon as possible.
Delays in diagnosing and treating stroke can lead to serious consequences including death or disability. Errors made can lead to a possible claim in clinical negligence.
If you are concerned with the care that you or a loved one received after raising symptoms of stroke, at Nelsons, our specialist clinical negligence team can advise you as to the merits of a potential claim.
How can we help?
Marcus Williams is a Paralegal in our Medical Negligence team, which is ranked in Tier One by the independently researched publication, The Legal 500.
For advice on the subjects discussed in this article, please get in touch with Marcus or another member of the team in Derby, Leicester, or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online enquiry form.
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