Spinal stroke is among the rare strokes that affect our body. It accounts for only 2% of the strokes and unlike many strokes a spinal stroke does not affect our brain.
Nowadays we are very much aware and informed of the spinal strokes unlike old times where it caused unexpected and unexplained deaths.
Moreover, the advancement in medical science has made its cure quite possible.The main cause of stroke is an obstruction in the blood supply to the brain.
To regulate the bleeding inside the brain, surgical treatment is highly recommended. The surgery is usually done within first 48 to 72 hours after hemorrhage, depending upon the condition of the patient.
“Nowadays we brew diseases in our body due to our inefficient lifestyle problems such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol etc. All pave way into our body because of lack of exercise and such eccentric lifestyle also invites spine stroke” says Dr. Manish Vaish, Associate Director, Neuro Surgery, Max Super Specialty Hospital, Delhi.
Majority of spinal strokes are caused by a thickening or narrowing of the arteries that carry blood to the spinal cord. Some spinal strokes (ischemic) are caused by a blood clot blocking one of the arteries supplying the spinal cord. Clots are commonly formed where arteries have narrowed due to a build-up of fatty deposits (cholesterol) on their inner walls. However, our arteries tend to harden, narrow and weaken as we get older.
“There are two major types of spine stroke, ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic stroke happens due to low blood flow and hemorrhagic due to internal bleeding in the brain. The first step of the immediate treatment for spinal stroke is stopping the bleeding by medical or surgical methods,” says Dr. Manish Vaish.