Circadian rhythms seem to play a part in blood pressure, body temperature, and other body functions, new research finds. During the early morning, when blood pressure is higher, the risk for stroke appears to increase.
These alterations are with regard to Circadian Rhythm settings which are frequently repeated during day and night and the prevalent onset time of strokes in early morning may possibly be due to these daily physiologic changes (3).
This meta-analysis of 11 816 strokes provides strong evidence that the onset of stroke symptoms has a circadian variation, with a higher risk in the early morning hours (6 am to noon), and lower risk during the nighttime period (midnight to 6 am).
Ischaemic stroke, similar to myocardial infarction and sudden death, occurs most often after awakening in the morning hours. A meta-analysis of 31 publications reporting the circadian timing of 11 816 strokes found a 49% increase in stroke of all types between 06 00 and 12 00.
However, if you wake up one morning and the secondary effects of your stroke are dramatically worse than the previous night, then it's time to seek immediate medical attention.
Weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, usually on one side of the body. Trouble speaking or understanding. Problems with vision, such as dimness or loss of vision in one or both eyes. Dizziness or problems with balance or coordination.
Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination.
Wake-up stroke, defined as the situation where a patient awakens with stroke symptoms that were not present prior to falling asleep, represents roughly 1 in 5 acute ischemic strokes and remains a therapeutic dilemma.
Some people will experience symptoms such as headache, numbness or tingling several days before they have a serious stroke. One study found that 43% of stroke patients experienced mini-stroke symptoms up to a week before they had a major stroke.
Research shows that 30 minutes of moderate exercise—including low-impact workouts like walking and yoga—five days per week can minimize your chance of stroke and the number on the scale.
A door-to-treatment time of 60 minutes or less is the goal. This 60-minute period is often referred to as the “golden hour” of acute ischemic stroke treatment during which a focused diagnostic workup must be completed to rule out conditions that may mimic stroke as well as contraindications to rt-PA administration.
For this reason, the 60 minutes after the onset of stroke symptoms are known as “the golden hour.” If treatment can be initiated within this brief window, the patient's outcome is likely to be better.
It's possible to wake up with stroke symptoms as a result of a stroke that happened while you were asleep. These are sometimes called "wake-up strokes." Wake-up strokes are not technically different from other strokes. However, they can be more dangerous because treatment is delayed while you are sleeping.
Lifestyle factors
The way we live has a big impact on our risk of stroke. Things such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, being overweight and eating unhealthy foods can damage your blood vessels, increase your blood pressure and make your blood more likely to clot. It's never too late to make a change.
There are two main causes of stroke: a blocked artery (ischemic stroke) or leaking or bursting of a blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke). Some people may have only a temporary disruption of blood flow to the brain, known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA), that doesn't cause lasting symptoms.
What does that mean? A. A silent stroke refers to a stroke that doesn't cause any noticeable symptoms. Most strokes are caused by a clot that blocks a blood vessel in the brain. The blockage prevents blood and oxygen from reaching that area, causing nearby brain cells to die.
Weakness, numbness or paralysis in the face, arm or leg, typically on one side of the body. Slurred or garbled speech or difficulty understanding others. Blindness in one or both eyes or double vision. Vertigo or loss of balance or coordination.
Drink a lot of water: You should drink at least five glasses of water per day, and this will reduce your risk of stroke by 53%, according to a recent study by Loma Linda University.
Even after surviving a stroke, you're not out of the woods, since having one makes it a lot more likely that you'll have another. In fact, of the 795,000 Americans who will have a first stroke this year, 23 percent will suffer a second stroke.
Recovery time after a stroke is different for everyone—it can take weeks, months, or even years. Some people recover fully, but others have long-term or lifelong disabilities.
In addition to the classic stroke symptoms associated with the FAST acronym, around 7-65% of people undergoing a stroke will experience some form of a headache. People describe a stroke-related headache as a very severe headache that comes on within seconds or minutes.
First-Stroke Patients' 5-Year Survival Rates Study
Of the surviving patients, 60 percent who suffered an ischemic stroke and 38 percent with intracerebral hemorrhage survived one year, compared to 31 percent and 24 percent, respectively, after five years.