Brain ischemia: causes, symptoms, treatment

Ischemia of the brain - is a violation of blood flow in a specific area of the brain or in the entire body as a whole. At the same time, along with blood, oxygen and nutrients necessary for proper functioning cease to function steadily. Subsequently, oxygen starvation can lead to a stroke, disruption of the brain, the death of its tissues, cause a violation of motor skills, paralysis, loss of the ability to feel, speak.

Causes of cerebral ischemia

The main cause of ischemia in an adult in the modern world is atherosclerosis of the blood vessels of the brain. Fat deposits accumulating on the inner wall of the vessel gradually block it and block the blood flow. Another common cause may be blockage of blood flow in the cerebral arteries with blood clots (thrombi).

Brain ischemia can result from vasospasm from emotional shocks (fear, pain), as a result of physical trauma or the influence of low temperatures, under the influence of chemical poisonous substances. Particularly noteworthy is the effect of the most common and often used human chemical poisons when smoking tobacco (there is a sharp spasm of blood vessels) and drinking alcohol (blood clots are formed that block the microcapillaries and thicken the blood).

Symptoms of brain ischemia

The first symptoms of cerebral ischemia are manifested in a decrease in attention, memory impairment, increased fatigue, and impaired functioning of the nervous system. Excessive nervous excitability, causeless irritability, sharp mood swings can also mean that a person developing cerebral ischemia. Symptoms of ischemic brain disease are manifested in the disturbance of night sleep, which becomes shallow and restless.

Sudden headaches, blood pressure changes, dizziness, fainting, impaired coordination, sensory disturbances, speech, vision - are also characteristic signs that the person is progressing ischemia of the brain.

Treatment of cerebral ischemia

In modern medical practice, two main methods of treating ischemic disease of the brain are considered: medicamentous and surgical. With medical treatment of ischemia based on the intake of drugs that stimulate blood flow and strengthen the walls of blood vessels.

In surgical intervention, ischemia of the brain is treated by the operative extraction of a thrombus or an atherosclerotic plaque from a blood vessel, as well as the restoration of blood flow through damaged vessels through their reconstruction and prosthetics.

One of the new methods for the restoration of blood supply is the unique treatment of ischemia with stem cells, which, after a two-fold introduction into the circulatory system, create new collateral vascular networks that compensate for the full delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the damaged site, and return the vessels to normal thickness and elasticity, Restore cells of the damaged brain tissue.

In addition, in the treatment of cerebral ischemia and stroke prevention, physiotherapeutic procedures are carried out to create conditions for the development of a network of collateral vessels that fit the brain, bypassing diseased and damaged blood vessels. To reduce severe pain, with acute ischemia, anti-pain medications are prescribed for use.

Ishemia of the brain is a deadly enemy to human health. Therefore, to prevent the onset of ischemia, it is necessary to protect yourself from the earliest possible age: remove from your menu foods that are rich in cholesterol, do not smoke and never try cigarettes, do not abuse alcohol, avoid stressful situations and enjoy life.