• Presence of a strong headache.
• Numbness of the face, arms or legs.
• Sudden loss of vision.
• Confusion
• Difficulty to speak or understand what people are saying to you
• Instability for walking or keep standing

The repercussion that a stroke can generate varies according to the person, the location of the affected area and the speed with which it is treated. In some cases it leaves no sequel, whilst in others, they generate a slight, moderate or severe disability, like paralysis, difficulty for motor coordination, alteration of speech, smell and vision.

“Quick assistance increases the survival possibilities of the person, as well as a successful recovery. In case of suffering a stroke, go immediately to an emergency service, preferably before 60 minutes have passes,” concluded Dr. Katherine Rodriguez.

The management depends on the patient´s age, location, seriousness of the condition and cause of the stroke. There are different treatments both medical as well as surgical for achieving the optimum recovery of the patient. The most important thing after suffering a stroke is to begin physical rehabilitation, of speech and vocational as soon as possible.

Prevent strokes:

• Avoid alcohol and smoking.
• Exercise
• Frequently control the levels of your blood pressure and high cholesterol levels
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Eat fruits and vegetables
• Control chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension

[alert]

• 80% of strokes are caused by a blood clot, a plaque or fat deposits that obstruct the blood flow causing the death of brain tissue.
• The remaining 20% is caused by the rupture and bleeding of a blood vessel.
• The patients who have been victims of a stroke have up to a 40% risk of having a new event again.

[/alert]