In a stroke, also known as a "brain attack", blood flow to the brain is interrupted or reduced. As a result, the brain cannot receive enough oxygen and brain cells are damaged. This can lead to serious disability or even death.

Types of Stroke

A stroke occurs either when a clot blocks a vessel, known as ischaemic stroke, or when a blood vessel leaks or ruptures, known as haemorrhagic stroke. Ischaemic stroke is the most common type.

In a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) there is also a blockage, but the clot dissolves on its own within a short time and does not leave permanent damage in the brain tissue. Symptoms usually last a few minutes and disappear completely within 24 hours. A TIA is a warning sign: some patients who are not treated after an attack go on to have a larger stroke shortly afterwards.

Risk Factors

High blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, smoking, excess weight and genetic predisposition are among the main causes of stroke. The risk of stroke also increases from the age of 60. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Türkiye, which makes early intervention critical.

Symptoms

If you notice one or more of the following symptoms in yourself or someone around you, go to a hospital without delay. The sooner a stroke is treated, the more brain damage can be limited, and in some cases avoided entirely.

• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
• Sudden numbness and/or weakness in the face, arm or leg on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, slurred speech or difficulty understanding speech
• Sudden visual disturbance such as double or blurred vision
• Sudden difficulty walking, loss of balance or dizziness
• People thought to be having a stroke are often unable to smile fully, form even simple sentences or raise their arms.

Treatment

The primary goal in stroke is prevention: building a healthy lifestyle by reducing risk factors. The secondary goal is planning treatment according to the type of stroke.

Within the first 4.5 hours of symptom onset, intravenous thrombolytic therapy is given to dissolve the clot. Within the first 6 hours, removing the clot with the help of a stent in the angiography suite (mechanical thrombectomy) achieves very successful results.

If you have any of these risk factors or are aged 60 or over, we recommend an annual check-up with CT angiography or Doppler ultrasound.