Amudat, a successful accountant with a private firm in Kaduna, is a little overweight mother of three, married to Gabriel, a self-employed businessman. For about three months, Gabriel has been nursing the plan of taking his family on a holiday trip and  not to bring them back to the present apartment where they live, but to their new house. He has been keeping this idea as a secret from his family.

Amudat returned late from work, as she does occasionally, when there are new clients to attend to. She had been feeling ‘somehow’ before she left office, a vague discomfort on her forehead. Gabriel was at home with the children already tucked in bed. He had also set the table for both of them. Gabriel advised that she take paracetamol to calm the headache. After dinner, they both retired to bed.

At about 3 a.m, Amudat left the bedroom to use the toilet which is a few steps down the corridor, next to her children’s room. She observed that the headache persisted and she was feeling some abnormal sensation on her left hand. After using the toilet, she noticed that she could not get up from the sitting position. She also could not call out to Gabriel for help.

Her first son, Ibrahim, heard the unusual movement just outside the corridor. He got up to check… he found his mother on the floor of the toilet, unable to talk or stand! Amudat was taken to the hospital– she had suffered a stroke!

What is stroke?
The Advanced Oxford English Dictionary defines stroke as “a sudden serious illness (occurring) when a blood vessel in the brain bursts or is blocked which can cause death or the loss of the ability to move or to speak clearly.”

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is altered. Brain cells in the immediate area begin to die because they no longer receive oxygen and the nutrients they need to function.

Two types of stroke occur: ischemic and hemorrhagic. An ischemic stroke occurs when the blood supply is suddenly interrupted by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel or artery to the brain. Ischemic strokes account for the greater majority of all strokes. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, spilling blood into the spaces surrounding the brain cells.

Worldwide, the community occurrence is between 58 and 500 cases per 100,000 people. About five per cent to 17 per cent of all hospital admissions in Nigeria are due to stroke. Out of these, about three to five per cent dies, i.e. about 35 per cent. It occurs more commonly among Nigerian men than women.

Symptoms And Signs You Should Know
The symptoms of stroke are easy to recognise. One or more of these symptoms may result from stroke: sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination and, finally, sudden severe headache with no known cause.

What To Do If Stroke Occurs
Because stroke affects the brain, a stroke victim will most likely be unable to understand his or her problems. A stroke victim stands the best chance if a knowledgeable, concerned person is available when the stroke occurs. If you notice someone experiencing the symptoms above, do something immediately– take the person to a doctor in a nearby clinic or hospital. Stroke is a medical emergency. Immediate treatment may save someone’s life and enhance his or her chance for successful rehabilitation and recovery. Patients need to get to the hospital within an hour to be evaluated and started on specific treatment as soon as possible.

How To prevent Stroke From Occurring
Find out from your doctor if you are at risk of developing a stroke. A risk factor is a condition or behaviour that places an individual at greater risk of experiencing a disease or other medical disorder. Having one or more of the risk factors for stroke does not mean that an individual will have a stroke; it means an individual’s risk of stroke increases with the number and severity of risk factors.

Monitor your blood pressure, check your cholesterol level from a reliable laboratory, stop drinking and smoking, exercise regularly and find out from your doctor if you should be taking a medication to reduce blood clotting.

High blood pressure increases your risk of stroke four to six times. Treat it. Make sure that you check your blood pressure regularly and also test your urine to prevent a kidney disease from developing. Let your neighbours, friends and others know this.

Quit smoking. Cigarette smoking has been linked to the buildup of fatty substances in the main neck blood vessel supplying blood to your brain. Blockage of this artery is a leading cause of stroke. Heart diseases can double your risk of stroke. Treat it. Common heart disorders, such as coronary artery disease, valve defects, irregular heartbeat and enlargement of one of the heart’s chambers can result in blood clots that may break loose and block vessels in or leading to the brain. Consult your doctor from time to time.