Mouth Stroke: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

The brain cells are in a constant need of glucose and oxygen, which they receive from the blood supply. If this supply is restricted or stopped for a stretch of the period then the cells automatically start to die, affecting that particular area of the human brain. This is a condition that is also referred to as a stroke or ‘Brain Attack.” A mouth or a facial stroke is a condition when the nerves and the tissues inside the brain controlling the facial muscles, gets affected by either type of the strokes that have been described in the previous part of the article. This is a condition that is also known as ‘Facial Palsy’. If it is an ischemic stroke then the brain cells and tissue dies due to a lack of oxygen and glucose flow and if it is a hemorrhagic stroke then the pressure created by the seeped out blood kills the affected area’s brain cells and tissues. In both cases, damage can be rendered in a matter of minutes.

One of the most important aspects of mouth stroke is diagnosing the problem at an early stage. Doctors are of the opinion that this is one of the most elemental ways through which proper care for the health condition can take place and hence major damages can be kept at bay.

• Paralysis of One Side. One of the main symptoms of mouth stroke is to develop paralysis on one side of the mouth. In this situation, just one side of the face is affected. More often than not the other side is not affected.
• Loss of Blinking. Often the patient faces a problem in blinking his or her eyelids. This is because the facial muscles and the nerves of that side of the face have been impaired due to the adverse effect of the brain stroke.
• Drooping of the Lower Lid. In other cases, even if the functional movement of the upper eyelid is okay and the patient can blink but the lower lids has a little drooping look. This happens due to the slackening of the cheek muscles and the dropping weight of the cheeks.
• Altered Tearing. Patients of mouth stroke often are unable to shed their tears. The rate of tearing is decreased by a large extent.
• Slurred Speech. One of the most pertinent symptoms of mouth stroke is to have a slurred speech. The victim often has considerable trouble in speaking and his speech gets highly vague and difficult to understand. Often, they cannot speak in proper sentences as well.
• Difficulty in Eating and Drinking. Victims of mouth stroke has difficulty in eating and drinking with the food elements leaking out of the affected part of the mouth. Often they are unable to make out the taste of the food or the drinks that they are having.

It has been pointed out that the two types of stroke are the main reason that can cause facial palsy. However, even within these two broader categories, there are different conditions that can lead to a mouth stroke. Let us take a look at them:

• Thrombotic Stroke (Ischemic Stroke). This is a condition where a blood clot or a thrombus chokes the arteries blocking blood supply to the brain. This blockage can happen due to a deposit of plaque within the arteries.
• Embolic Ischemic Stroke. In this condition blood clot occurs in some other part of the body, the heart most commonly, and is then carried to the narrower arteries of the brain. This clot is known as an embolus.
• Intracerebral Hemorrhage. In this form of hemorrhage, a brain blood vessel bursts and the spilled blood creates a pressure on the surrounding cells and tissues. The tissues beyond the hemorrhage also get deprived of blood and oxygen and hence get affected.
• Subarachnoid Hemorrhage. In this type of hemorrhage, a blood vessel on the surface of the brain bursts open. The spilled blood accumulates between the brain and the skull. Such strokes are often characterized by severing headache.

Providing prompt treatment is one of the basic ways through which the adverse effects of the stroke can be arrested and maximum damage can be prevented. Hence prompt action is really required.

• Initial Treatment. At this stage, the patient must be laid down on his left. The chin must be facing out so that the victim does not choke. If the victim is in his senses then he must be spoken to in a reassuring manner telling that help is on the way. Paramedics must be informed immediately. Do not give the victim to eat or drink as he might choke.
• Medication. Often the doctors try the thrombolytic therapy which is a way of dissolving the clot so that the blood can start to flow normally. In other situations, anti-platelet drugs like aspirin are given so that the clot does not get any bigger than what it is and further clots cannot form. Medication for brain swelling and cardiac disorders are also prescribed.
• Surgery. Surgery is one of the elemental procedures of treatment, more required in hemorrhagic strokes, where the ruptures are sealed and the spilled blood is cleared away.
• Supportive Treatment. There are other procedures of supportive treatment like occupational therapy, speech therapy, and physiotherapy.

On a final note, it needs to be mentioned that a mouth stroke is a condition that must not be thought synonymous with aging people. Even middle-aged people and young people can experience this health condition. Some of the most common aspects of your lifestyle that can herald this health condition are improper diet, lack of quality sleep, obesity, too much of smoking and drinking and a lot of continued pressure and stress. An early diagnosis can, however, arrest maximum damage and can help the victim recover faster and better from the situation. Immediate and regular medical help for a stipulated period can help improve the condition of such patients.