It’s critical that we stay up to date on trends in many areas of life, including fashion, technology, and most especially, in medicine. Knowing what happens in our bodies and what we can do about it other than accept our fate is of the utmost significance, especially after a serious health crisis like suffering a stroke.
You might be surprised to learn that stroke affects more than 795,000 people in the United States each year. It is a major factor in both long-term disability and death. Despite the prevalence and seriousness of stroke, there have only been a few treatment options available up to this point.
Doctors used to be able to offer stroke patients nothing much more than empathy. There wasn’t much you or they could do, but things are starting to change. Patients and families now have new hope, thanks to recent discoveries.
Humans are living longer, but that’s not the only good news: thanks in great part to developments in medical science over time, general health and longevity have improved significantly. However, the need for ongoing study is constant, particularly given some of the most common and severe illnesses. Among the worst offenders? Strokes. Given that a stroke occurs on average once every 40 seconds in the United States, better stroke management, including prevention, treatment, and therapy, is more important than ever.
Here are some breakthroughs on stroke that you should know:
- Time is crucial
Consider a stroke as a brain plumbing issue. When there is a disturbance in blood flow, whether from a vascular rupture (hemorrhagic stroke) or obstruction (ischemic stroke), it happens. Both times, the blockage of blood flow deprives brain cells of oxygen, resulting in damage and death. After a stroke, prompt medical treatment can make the difference between a full recovery and serious impairment or death.
Unfortunately, the diagnosis stage of stroke treatment frequently experiences difficulties. Sometimes, it’s a logistical problem; MRI imaging is needed to determine the type, size, and location of a stroke, and the equipment itself can be challenging to access. MRIs must be stored in bunker-style facilities, which are often found in hospital basements since they employ strong magnets to produce detailed images of the body. As a result, it frequently takes longer than expected for stroke patients to have MRI scans.
A team of medical professionals and engineers collaborated to create a transportable MRI scanner. Even though it employs a weaker magnet, it nevertheless catches the images doctors require to diagnose stroke correctly. It is portable and simple to move to the patient’s bedside. It represents a paradigm change to bring an MRI to a sick patient instead of the other way around.
- Preventing further damage
After identifying a stroke, damage mitigation efforts can get underway. A team of doctors can employ cutting-edge neuro-monitoring technology to examine how to maintain a patient’s blood pressure in the very early phase after a stroke. This is when brain tissue is highly sensitive during the initial hours following a stroke.
According to the study, customization of blood pressure parameters is essential for effective stroke treatment. However, determining the appropriate blood pressure for a patient in the moments and hours following a stroke can be challenging. There is no one solution that works for everyone; it relies on a number of variables.
- Letting the immune system work for you.
The body responds to harm by launching an inflammatory response, including the brain, after a stroke. But in this instance, the ensuing inflammation might lead to even greater harm. But what if the patient may benefit from that immunological response?
A team of experts is attempting to understand how they can utilize the immune system’s understanding of restoring tissues after being wounded.
This team is trying to comprehend the biochemical cues that direct the immune system’s reaction to a stroke. The creation of specific therapies for the treatment of stroke that reduce early harm and promote recovery can then be guided by this understanding. The goal is to be in a position to direct research projects that transform the lives of patients everywhere.
People can learn about preventing strokes with the aid of other technology. Wearables can help people keep better track of certain lifestyle factors, such as high blood pressure or cholesterol, which increase the risk of stroke. For instance, South Korean researchers have developed a wearable patch that continually and in real-time measures your heart activity to monitor your blood pressure.
Nowadays, everyone uses their smartphones and tablets to pass the time, so why not take advantage of these platforms to promote health? Whether they are used for education or rehabilitation, there are apps that are very useful to stroke patients. The Stroke Foundation provides a list of numerous useful apps to get you, or a member of your family started.
Check with stroke new treatment and learn about the prevention and treatment of strokes and how they will advance with the help of new technologies over time. Focus on educating yourself and your loved ones about stroke signs and symptoms, and one day, new stroke management initiatives will have a significant impact on all aspects of therapy.