Cerebrovascular strokes are sudden or progressive circulatory disorders in the cerebral vessels, in which nerve cells and brain tissues begin to die. In many countries of the world, stroke ranks third among the causes of death after cardiovascular and oncological diseases. Even with a favorable outcome, it is not always possible for a person to return to work in the old way of life. And as a result, the family, society, and the state suffer. Therefore, it is important to determine who is at risk of stroke and what its main causes are.
The risk of stroke rises progressively with increasing age. In young people (up to 45 years old), stroke occurs annually in only one person out of 30 thousand (Zayet et al., 2020. By the age of 80, the probability of its development becomes very high (one in four men and one in five women) (Zayet et al., 2020). Risk factors for stroke include hypertension, obesity, smoking and alcohol, diseases of the cardiovascular system, old age and diabetes mellitus (Zayet et al., 2020). All this leads to a gradual violation of the blood circulation of the brain. When three or more unfavorable factors are combined, the predisposition to stroke increases. The greatest prevalence of cerebrovascular diseases and their causes among the population in countries is observed among the poorest and most vulnerable segments of it. Representatives of groups at a low socio-economic level are at least twice as likely to have a serious illness and premature death compared to people with a higher socio-economic status (Zayet et al., 2020). Groups with higher socio-economic status are often more susceptible to health measures and benefit more from them.
Depending on the level of the lesion, 4 types of motor disorders associated with deep tendon reflexes can be distinguished. The first is movement disorders of the “higher (cortical) level” (apraxia and related disorders). The second is movement disorders of the “middle level” — pyramidal syndrome, cerebellar ataxia, and extrapyramidal syndromes. Then, there is movement disorders of the lower level (bulbar disorders and other disorders associated with cranial nerve damage). Moreover, there are combined (mixed) movement disorders (Zayet et al., 2019). Often, such diseases are associated with diabetes mellitus: this becomes more complicated if the patient suffers from obesity, elevated cholesterol levels, smokes and does not sufficiently monitor the level of glycemia. Diabetic neuropathy is a complication of diabetes mellitus; the nature of that manifests itself in the defeat of the patient’s nervous system.
In my experience, there was a patient, Sarah N. 43 years old. She complained of severe weakness, dizziness, nausea and absent-mindedness of movements. The examination revealed the suppression of deep tendon reflexes. Diagnostics of the work of tendon reflexes of the lower extremities and superficial abdominal reflexes were carried out. The test was conducted using tests for vigorous hand dilution and tingling in the 4 quadrants of the abdomen near the navel with a wooden cotton swab (Caprio & Sorond, 2019). A group of doctors diagnosed damage to cerebral vessels, impaired nutrition of nerves in a state of hypoxia, loss of function of nerve fibers, and death of some brain tissues due to the destruction of capillaries. After rehabilitation, the patient was prescribed treatment: regular injections of alpha-lipoic acid, as well as taking vitamin B (B1, B2, B6, B12), which contribute to better transmission of impulses.
In conclusion, cerebrovascular diseases are one of the main causes of death and disability in the world. Every year, about 10 million strokes and other lesions of the nervous and vascular systems are registered in the world (Caprio & Sorond, 2019). Treatment and rehabilitation of such patients may take months and years but will not lead to a complete recovery of motor and cognitive functions. Stroke prevention is a more justified tactic since a significant part of the risk factors are preventable: smoking, alcohol, uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes, and obesity.
References
Caprio, F. Z., & Sorond, F. A. (2019). Cerebrovascular disease: primary and secondary stroke prevention. Medical Clinics, 103(2), 295-308. Web.
Zayet, S., Klopfenstein, T., Kovẚcs, R., Stancescu, S., & Hagenkötter, B. (2020). Acute cerebral stroke with multiple infarctions and COVID-19, France, 2020. Emerging infectious diseases, 26(9), 2258.