Left-sided ischemic stroke

A brain stem stroke is a serious medical and social problem, because this pathology is accompanied by high mortality in acute period, as well as development of disability, sometimes very severe. Very often patients after a stroke lose their viability and ability to serve themselves, they need round the clock care.

What is an ischemic stroke and its causes

Ischemic stroke is an acute violation of blood circulation in the brain tissue, which at the time exceeds 24 hours. Due to blockage, constriction or spasm of blood vessels with subsequent ischemia and necrosis of the nervous tissue, which is powered by this vessel (cerebral infarction).

It is important to remember! The consequences of cerebral ischemia depend on the localization of the lesion, its size, and how quickly and adequately treated.

The immediate cause of the development of brain infarction is a blockage of a vessel by a blood clot or embolus, prolonged spasm of the artery or compression from the outside, for example, tumor.

The main reasons for the development of ischemia of the left hemisphere of the brain:

• Functions of the left hemisphere of the brain

  As already mentioned, the left and right hemispheres perform very different functions, and therefore the effects of a stroke will vary depending on the localization of necrosis. Of course, in the cerebral cortex of the two hemispheres, there are centers that overlap. For example, motor, sensory, auditory, visual, olfactory. But the left hemisphere controls the right half of the body, and the right to the left. This explains the paralysis of the right limbs with the localization of lesions in the left half of the brain.

  Scientists began to study the functional asymmetry of the cerebral hemispheres in the 18th century when a French doctor Broca found that the speech center is in the left-hemisphere of the brain. Since the left hemisphere is called the dominant. But it must be said that it is not all people. For example, left-handers considered to be the dominant right hemisphere of the brain.

  But it is absolutely wrong to say that one of the halves of the brain is the main. They both complement each other, have their own unique function, creating a perfect natural mechanism.

  Video test for determining the dominant hemisphere of the brain (if the girl is spinning clockwise, now you have a dominant left hemisphere, and if you do something right):

  The symptoms and consequences of left-sided cerebral infarction

  It is very important to have an idea about the first signs of ischemic stroke in time to call an ambulance. If you or others have anythe following symptoms, you should immediately call the brigade emergency:

  • sudden loss of sensation or the development of paresthesias (tingling, numbness) in the right part of the body;
  • sudden weakness or complete immobility in his right arm or leg;
  • perenoshennoy face (lower right corner of the mouth, sagging right lower eyelid and cheek);
  • loss control of body orientation (people do not understand what happened to him and where he is);
  • violation of speech the injured can not understand, he does not understand the speech addressed to him);
  • violation of visual functions (double vision when looking, rasplachivat, the loss of individual fields of view);
  • disturbance of consciousness;

  • Diagnosis

    To establish the diagnosis of stroke is easy. Suspected pathology can be on specific clinical picture, and risk factors of the patient and typical medical history. But it is very important to quickly and correctly identify the type of stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic), as this determines the treatment tactics. Therefore mandatory to apply a number of diagnostic procedures:

    1. Principles of treatment

       Treatment of left-sided ischemic stroke does not differ from lesions of the right hemisphere of the brain. All therapeutic measures can be divided into basic and specific.

       Basic treatment includes maintaining the basic functions of life at an adequate level (breathing, heart function, prevention and control of cerebral edema, treatment of other complications and comorbidities (pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, hypertension, diabetes). Also prescribe symptomatic therapy, for example, to combat the temperature rise, elimination of vomiting, cramps, pain, normalization of water-electrolyte balance.

       Video instruction about first aid in stroke:

       Specific therapy in ischemic stroke is the introduction into the organism of drugs that can dissolve blood clots or prevent their new formation and increasing the existing ones. With this purpose, administered thrombolytics, anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents. Also prescribe drugs that have neuroprotective abilities and protect viable neurons from further damage at the increase of the infarction focus.