Stroke – Treatment – NHS Choices – Your health, your choices

Posted: Published on October 27th, 2014

This post was added by Dr Simmons

Ischaemic strokes can be treated using a 'clot-busting' medicine called alteplase, which dissolves blood clots (thrombolysis). However, alteplase is only effective if started during the first four and a half hours after the onset of the stroke. After that time, the medicine has not been shown to have beneficial effects. Even within this narrow time frame, the quicker alteplase can be started the better the chance of recovery. However, not all patients are suitable for thrombolysis treatment.

You will also be given a regular dose of aspirin (an anti-platelet medication), as this makes the cells in your blood, known as platelets, less sticky, reducing the chances of further blood clots occurring. If you are allergic to aspirin, other anti-platelet medicines are available.

You may also be given an additional medication called an anticoagulant. Like aspirin, anticoagulants prevent blood clots by changing the chemical composition of the blood in a way that prevents clots from occurring. Heparin, warfarin and more recently rivaroxabanare examples of anticoagulants.

Anticoagulants are often prescribed for people who have an irregular heartbeat that can cause blood clots.

If your blood pressure is too high, you may be given medicines to lower it. Medicines that are commonly usedinclude:

Read more about treating high blood pressure.

If the level of cholesterol in your blood is too high, you will be given a medicine known as a statin.Statins reduce the level of cholesterol in your blood by blocking an enzyme (chemical) in the liver that produces cholesterol.

Some ischaemic strokes are caused by a narrowing in the carotid artery, which is an artery in the neck, which takes blood to the brain. The narrowing, known as carotid stenosis, is caused by a build-up of fatty plaques.

If the carotid stenosis is particularly bad, surgery may be used to unblock the artery. Thisis done using a surgical technique called a carotid endarterectomy. Itinvolves the surgeon making an incision in your neck in order to open up the carotid artery and remove the fatty deposits.

Continue reading here:
Stroke - Treatment - NHS Choices - Your health, your choices

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.