Causes of cerebral infarction and the consequences of the disease

1 Development of pathology

Brain infarction is an acute disorder of the cerebral circulation, in which nerve cell death and neurological symptoms are observed. The heart and brain are very sensitive to lack of oxygen. With the cessation of blood flow for 6-7 minutes in the brain there are irreversible changes. A cerebral infarction is not an independent pathology. This complication after other vascular diseases( atherosclerosis, IHD, thrombosis).

In infarction, softening of the affected area of ​​the brain is observed. Infarction( stroke) is the most common cause of death of patients. Even after timely and adequate assistance, people often become disabled. Very often the cerebral infarction is combined with myocardial infarction. Persons who have repeatedly suffered these life-threatening conditions, have a high risk of premature death.

A cerebral infarction occurs due to the difficulty of blood flow in one or several vessels. The brain is supplied with blood through the following arteries:

• anterior cerebral;
• mean cerebral;
• posterior cerebral;
• vertebral;
• basilar;
• internal carotid;
• is cerebellar.

2 Classification of ischemic strokes

Ischemic infarction is of several types. Depending on the main factor, the following forms of cerebral infarction are distinguished:

• atherothrombotic;
• lacunar;
• cardioembolic;
• hemodynamic;
• haemorheological;
• , unspecified etiology.

The cerebral infarction occurs in several periods. Distinguish acute, acute, recovery and the period of residual phenomena. The acute takes 3 days. In the event that the symptoms are observed for up to 4 weeks, there is an acute cerebral infarction.

Progressive infarction of the brain must be able to distinguish from a transient ischemic attack. If the patient's condition improves within the first 24 hours, then the ischemic attack is diagnosed. A distinctive sign of progressive ischemic stroke is the growth of neurological symptoms and worsening of the condition of the victim.

3 Main predisposing factors

The cerebral infarction develops under the influence of various factors. In most cases, the cause is cardiovascular disease, among which:

• heart muscle infarction;
• atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels;
• hypertension;
• atrial fibrillation;
• violation of lipid composition of blood;
• carotid artery disease;
• thromboangiitis obliterans;
• cardiogenic embolism;
• stenosis of the cerebral arteries;
• infectious arteritis;
• Takayasu disease;
• Moyamoya's disease;
• coagulopathy( blood clotting disorder);
• heart disease;
• arterial thrombosis;
• carrying out of surgical operations.

The risk factors for this pathology include smoking, alcoholism, excess in the diet of animal fats, lack of vitamins, stress, obesity, hypodynamia, endocrine diseases( diabetes mellitus), weakened heredity, old age, renal pathology. Many of the above factors are external. They can be eliminated.

The most common causes of ischemic heart attack are arterial occlusion by a thrombus or embolus from other organs, atherosclerosis and hypertension.

Disturbance of blood flow in the latter case is due to pressure jumps, frequent crises, damage to the arteries. Normally, the pressure does not exceed 140/90 mm Hg.

4 How the disease manifests

Symptoms of ischemic stroke depend on the level of blood flow disturbance. Common symptoms include impairment of mimicry and motor activity, difficulty in speaking, confusion, pallor of the skin, drowsiness, decreased or increased blood pressure, tachycardia. All symptoms are divided into focal and cerebral.

The symptomatology depends on which hemisphere of the brain is affected. With a heart attack, neuronal death occurs. This contributes to the disruption of the work of a certain area of ​​the brain. The right hemisphere regulates the work of the left side of the body, and the left one is responsible for the second half of the body. Thanks to the work of the right hemisphere, a person is guided in space, possesses intuition, creative skills. The left hemisphere is responsible for speech, reading, understanding phrases.

Acute disorders of blood circulation in the internal carotid artery are characterized by the following symptoms:

• hemiplegia or monoplegia;
• speech disorder( aphasia);
• impaired vision, right up to blindness.

The plegy is characterized by a complete loss of the ability to move the arm and leg. When the carotid artery is blocked at the neck level, an ischemic stroke can not develop, as the blood will flow along the bypass vessels. Violation of the blood flow in the anterior cerebral artery is characterized by motor disorders( grasping reflex and paralysis), dysarthria, language and face paresis, symptoms of oral automatism, loss of sensitivity.

Such patients often develop aphasia, aphonia, the psyche is disturbed, memory deteriorates. Ischemic stroke, developed in the area of ​​the blood supply of the middle cerebral artery, is characterized by hemiplegia, a decrease in sensitivity in the arm and leg on one side( left or right), bilateral blindness( hemianopsia).Blindness develops due to damage to the visual cortex of the brain. Aphasia occurs in the case of a dominant hemisphere infarction. When the zone is affected in the region of the non-dominant hemisphere, symptoms such as anosognosia( negation of one's own illness), violation of purposeful actions and perception are observed.

5 What causes the disease

The consequences of cerebral infarction are very severe. Almost never a stroke does not pass without a trace. Severe complications and death of a patient are possible with self-treatment or untimely care. There are such consequences of ischemic stroke:

• weakness in the limbs;
• paralysis;
• impaired coordination of movements and speech, up to complete aphasia;
• loss of temperature or pain sensitivity;
• dementia( typical of the elderly);
• cognitive disorders;
• difficulty swallowing;
• blindness;
• development of epilepsy;
• dysfunction of the pelvic organs( urinary incontinence).

In severe cases, with extensive damage to the brain, the death of the patient occurs. Mortality in ischemic stroke is 15-20%.The prognosis for health largely depends on the extent of the lesion, the localization of occlusion, the age of the person, the speed of medical care, the rehabilitation period. The most common motor disorders, speech and sensitivity disorders.

Problems with the speech function are manifested by incoherence or difficulty in pronunciation of phrases. Even after restoration of ability to work, a second stroke is possible. In this situation, the consequences are more extensive and the forecast is less favorable. The higher the incidence of strokes, the greater the likelihood of a fatal outcome.

A person must be looked after daily, otherwise the consequences can be severe.