A stroke happens when

Strokes are byproducts of poor health habits, genetics, and even unfortunately timed events coalescing into one cataclysmic health episode that happens to drastically affect the overall condition of the brain. During a stroke, the flow of blood to the brain is usually cut off, and in the case of an ischemic stroke, it is a blood vessel that causes the blood flow to be interrupted. Since the flow of blood and oxygen, which is carried by the blood, no longer reaches the brain, those few seconds or even minutes during which a stroke occurs is also when the impairments can be born from. Such impairments may include loss of motor or cognitive functions or even the loss of life in particularly severe cases. A stroke does not take long to develop, and the symptoms that would indicate it also present themselves very quickly. Both the symptoms and the impairments come as a result of the brain no longer receiving blood and oxygen, and as a result, the brain cells in the affected regions may die, and lasting consequences of which are what lead to problems.

The diagnostic process

In order for the doctor to properly diagnose a stroke, he or she will need to take different factors into account. One of the main factors is medical history. Prior episodes of a stroke in a patient would mean that another stroke would not be out of the ordinary, and thus is a main contributor. Other factors that may lead to the diagnosis of a stroke include vital statistics with regards to the body chemistry.

 

Factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, and even habits such as smoking are leading causes of strokes, and if the patient has poor history with regards to these, then a diagnosis of a stroke will be likely. The doctor may also examine the symptoms of a stroke to determine if that is indeed what is affecting the patient? The reason why a doctor needs to be certain with the diagnosis is because these same symptoms may be the result of a different ailment. Tumors and abscesses can also lead to the symptoms of a stroke, and as such, there is obviously need to differentiate all of them.

Other diagnostic methods

There are other methods that doctors use to determine a stroke and also the kind of stroke that may have occurred. Tests such as CT scans and MRIs are designed to help provide a clearer window into the health of the patient, and they will provide a clearer depiction what is happening. Tests to measure the electrical activity of the brain may also be conducted on a patient who is under the suspicion of having suffered a stroke. All of these tests are necessary so that not only is the proper diagnosis made, but also so that the correct steps are taken towards treating the patient.