How Serious Is A Lacunar Stroke?
Online, April 17, 2011 (Newswire.com) - You may not have heard of the term lacunar stroke.
While a lacunar stroke is not as serious as its bigger brother, the full stroke, it should still be taken seriously.
Here's one man's story of his lacunar stroke experience.
"I am a 66-year-old man who thought he was in good shape except for a touch of high blood pressure. About a week ago, I suddenly noticed that my left arm and left leg had gone limp. I had to be careful how I walked, and I couldn't hold on to anything. My wife said the left side of my face looked funny, too. The next day, everything was back to normal. My wife insisted that I see the doctor, and he insisted that I have a brain scan. The report said, "Compatible with a lacunar stroke." What is that? The doctor has me taking aspirin and has changed my blood pressure medicine. How serious is this?"
This is the doctor's response:-
Lacunar stroke is small but significant.
The Latin word "lacuna" is "a small cavity or a hole." A lacunar stroke is one due to occlusion of a tiny brain artery that causes a similarly tiny hole in brain tissue. Blood supply to that part of the brain has been cut off.
Yours is the typical story told by those who have had such a stroke. Up to 60 percent of such patients complain of the sudden onset of arm and leg weakness on one side. The face on that side is weakened, too, and looks odd. People who have this kind of stroke never have trouble expressing themselves, as do people who suffer the more common and larger strokes.
Lacunar strokes don't leave a lasting deficit. People regain what they lost, and usually do so in quick order.
MRI brain scans shows lacunar strokes clearly. A CT brain scan also can spot them.
Almost always, high blood pressure is involved.
Just how high is "a touch of high blood pressure"?
You have to take blood pressure control most seriously. Get a home blood pressure kit and take your pressure twice a day.
You must take the same preventive steps that people who have had a major stroke take:-
weight reduction if that applies, limitation of salt, daily exercise within the limits prescribed by your doctor and a diet change to include much more fruits, vegetables and grains and much less meat and fats.
