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During pregnancy, many transformations occur in the woman’s body to provide the baby’s development. Blood pressure is one of the factors that undergoes a lot of changes during this period, which increases the risk of some cardiovascular diseases such as stroke.
What is stroke?
The stroke , Stroke, a stroke is caused by blockage or rupture to vessels responsible for bringing blood to the brain. This brain area that runs out of adequate blood suffers paralysis. It is an accident that requires a medical emergency, the faster the care, the less the chances of sequelae, especially in the case of stroke in pregnancy.
Stroke is a disease that threatens both men and women. For women, the risks increase during the post- menopausal phase and studies show that high blood pressure problems during pregnancy double the risk of a woman suffering a stroke in pregnancy.
Recent research has found that, although stroke is more common among women over 50, stroke in pregnancy is very common in younger women . It is worth alerting you to observe the symptoms, the causes and prevent yourself to avoid this type of accident, which can, indeed, have serious consequences.
Groups of risk
Stroke in pregnancy, stroke, is when there is an obstruction or even rupture of the arteries that are responsible for bringing blood to the brain . It is a disease that affects both men and women, but medicine has devoted a special look to the behavior of the disease in the female universe.
Women have been shown to be more susceptible to a stroke and medicine has advanced in recent years to map some risk factors and particularities of the female organism that tend to potentiate the risks, especially of stroke in pregnancy.
A pregnancy is considered a risk factor , since due to blood pressure changes can double the chances of women suffering a stroke in pregnancy. Migraine is another factor that is more prevalent among women and that also increases the likelihood of the disease.
A recent study brought unprecedented data on the age group of women most likely to suffer a stroke. In general, older women are actually more likely to suffer a stroke, but according to this study, younger women, up to 24 years of age, are more likely to have a stroke during pregnancy.
Other factors are considered risky. Here are some of them:
- History of hypertension
- Cardiac insufficiency
- Diabetes
- Stress
- Smoking
- Atrial fibrillation
- Having suffered a stroke
Causes of stroke
There are two types of strokes : the ischemic stroke , which is due to the clogging of the vessels that carry blood to the brain and the hemorrhagic stroke, which is when the rupture of these vessels occurs.
In 85% of cases, stroke is caused by the obstruction of an artery, the ischemic type. Thrombosis (clot formation inside the artery) or embolism (when the clot is carried by the bloodstream) are the main causes of this type of stroke.
The hemorrhagic type represents around 15% of cases and occurs when an artery ruptures causing hemorrhage. In any case, stroke is considered a medical emergency, the patient must read immediately taken to the hospital.
The emergency care is crucial for the degree of success of the treatment as well as the delay can be responsible for irreparable damage. Remembering that stroke in pregnancy, in addition to being high risk for women, puts the baby’s life at risk.
Stroke symptoms
Stroke symptoms are sudden, so it is necessary to be attentive so that if any signs are identified, seek medical help immediately. It appears that the damage is much more serious if the victim is rescued more than 3 hours after the injury.
- Sudden decrease or loss of strength in the face, arm or leg on one side of the body
- Tingling sensation in the face, arm or leg on one side of the body
- Sudden loss of vision (only in one or both eyes)
- Acute speech disorder
- Difficulty articulating, expressing or understanding language
- Sudden and severe headache
- Instability
- Sudden intense vertigo
- Nausea or vomiting.
If you happen to see a stroke, immediately seek medical help, avoid disturbing the environment, maintaining tranquility and good ventilation close to the victim. Loosen clothing on the neck, chest and abdomen, keep the victim warm and always remain alert to vital functions until medical help arrives.
Stroke Treatment and Sequelae
The ideal treatment for patients who have suffered a stroke in pregnancy will depend on some factors, which will be evaluated by the doctor. Each case may have different sequelae that require specific care and treatment.
There are countless therapeutic resources that can be used in the treatment for the restoration of functions commonly affected by the stroke, and which present quite satisfactory results.
Specialists
Generally, the support of a multidisciplinary team is necessary, composed of neurologists, physiotherapists, psychologists and other professionals according to the needs of each patient.
Stroke, in addition to being one of the diseases that cause the most deaths worldwide , is also the one that leaves the most effects on basic functions, which interferes with the performance of everyday activities, impairing the quality of life of these people.
The sequelae can range from mild to very severe , ranging from behavioral changes, difficulty in speaking and eating, intestinal constipation, vascular epilepsy and many other complications.
In order for the risk of sequelae to be as small as possible, the victim needs to be attended to as soon as possible, so remember that when facing a stroke, the important thing is to seek medical help urgently !!
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My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
