A consultant neurosurgeon, Teddy Totimeh has said failing to deal with issues of hypertension (high blood pressure) for a long time could lead to stroke.
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts (or ruptures).
Symptoms of stroke include trouble walking, speaking and understanding, as well as paralysis or numbness of the face, arm or leg.
In an interview on the Asaase Breakfast Show as part of Mental Awareness on Thursday (23 May), Totimeh advised Ghanaians to avoid lifestyles that could lead to hypertension.
“So when it comes to hypertension, the two big targets for hypertension would be the brain and the kidney.
So in an environment where we’re already not diagnosed with hypertension, screening for hypertension and treating hypertension, the first time that a lot of people will know they have hypertension is when it’s declared as a stroke or as a kidney malfunction.
” So the two ways in which this high pressure can affect the blood vessels in the brain, one way is just best the blood vessels because of the significant pressure. That’s what you would refer to as a haemorrhage or an aneurysm stroke.”
“Then the other way would be the blood vessels get blocked. So that. That a part of the brain doesn’t get the nutrition and oxygen that it’s supposed to get, and then that part of the brain dies, right? So these are the two kinds of strokes. So the second one is a thrombotic stroke or the ischemic stroke.” he said.
Listen to Dr Teddy Totimeh in the attached audio clip below:
Reporting by Fred Dzakpata in Accra
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