Stroke Treatment in Indore

Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability in India. The brain is extraordinarily sensitive to the loss of blood flow, and neurons begin dying within minutes of a stroke beginning, which is why the first hours of treatment are the most important. Time, diagnosis and specialist care directly determine outcomes. CARE CHL Hospitals, Indore, provides a dedicated stroke unit with round-the-clock specialist assessment, imaging and intervention for patients from Indore and across Madhya Pradesh.

What Is a Stroke?

A stroke occurs when blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly interrupted either by a blocked artery or a ruptured blood vessel, causing brain cells to die. Two common types are

• Ischaemic stroke: Occurs due to a blocked cerebral artery and accounts for approximately 85% of all strokes and is the type most amenable to clot-dissolving or mechanical clot-retrieval treatment.
• Haemorrhagic stroke: Occurs when a weakened vessel ruptures within or around the brain. It is less common but often more severe and is managed through blood pressure control and in selected cases surgical clot evacuation.

Signs and Symptoms of Stroke

Stroke symptoms develop abruptly, and recognising them immediately is the single most important factor in reaching treatment in time. Common symptoms are:

• Sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the face, arm, or leg even if brief and apparently resolving, is the most common presenting symptom and should never be dismissed.
• Speech is frequently affected—the person may be unable to speak, may produce garbled words, or may find they cannot understand what is being said to them.
• A sudden, severe headache unlike any previously experienced, sometimes described as the worst of a person's life, can indicate haemorrhagic stroke or subarachnoid haemorrhage.
• Vision changes like sudden loss of vision in one eye, double vision, or loss of half the visual field and sudden dizziness or loss of balance are additional warning signs requiring immediate emergency response.

Causes of Stroke

The underlying cause determines which type of stroke has occurred and which treatment approach is appropriate.

• Atrial fibrillation (AF) causes an irregular rhythm that allows blood to pool and clot within the left atrial appendage, leading to ischaemic strokes through cardioembolism (clot from the heart to the brain).
• Atherosclerosis of the carotid arteries or cerebral vessels builds plaque over years; rupture or progressive narrowing causes the majority of non-cardioembolic ischaemic strokes.
• Hypertension is the most important single contributor to both ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke. Sustained high blood pressure weakens small vessel walls over time and accelerates atherosclerosis.
• Intracerebral haemorrhage most commonly ruptures from a small deep-brain vessel damaged by chronic hypertension. Arteriovenous malformations, brain aneurysms and anticoagulant medication are important additional causes.

Risk Factors for Stroke

Most stroke risk factors are modifiable, and their correction is the most effective long-term prevention strategy available. They are:

• Hypertension is the most prevalent and most modifiable stroke risk factor, present in many stroke patients and independently responsible for both ischaemic and haemorrhagic subtypes.
• Diabetes mellitus doubles the risk of ischaemic stroke through its contribution to accelerated atherosclerosis, abnormal platelet function and the procoagulant state it creates.
• Tobacco smoking, uncontrolled atrial fibrillation, obesity, physical inactivity, heavy alcohol use and elevated LDL cholesterol each independently raise stroke risk and are addressed in structured secondary prevention.

Possible Complications of Stroke

Complications of stroke reflect both the direct brain injury and the downstream consequences of impaired neurological function. They are:

• Post-stroke disability ranging from mild weakness to complete paralysis or loss of communication 
• Dysphagia (swallowing difficulty), raising the risk of aspiration pneumonia 
• Recurrent stroke without adequate secondary prevention.

Diagnosis of Stroke

Rapid, accurate diagnosis determines which treatments remain available and guides the management of haemorrhagic versus ischaemic stroke:

• Non contrast CT brain scanning is performed immediately on arrival, reliably distinguishing haemorrhagic from ischaemic stroke within minutes and is essential before any thrombolysis can be given.
• CT angiography and CT perfusion imaging identify the occluded artery and the extent of salvageable brain tissue, directly informing eligibility for mechanical thrombectomy (catheter-based clot retrieval) in large vessel ischaemic stroke.
• ECG, cardiac monitoring, blood tests and echocardiography identify AF, cardioembolism and metabolic causes of stroke-like presentations. 
• MRI brain is used selectively for detailed tissue characterisation and TIA evaluation.

Treatment for Stroke

Treatment is time-critical, and the available options depend on stroke type, time of onset and what imaging shows:

• Intravenous thrombolysis: A clot-dissolving medicine is given within 4.5 hours of symptom onset in eligible patients, reducing disability by restoring blood flow before irreversible infarction occurs.
• Mechanical thrombectomy: Catheter-based retrieval of the clot through a stent-retriever deployed in the blocked cerebral artery - extends the treatment window to 24 hours in selected patients with large-vessel occlusion and salvageable brain tissue.
• Haemorrhagic stroke is managed with blood pressure control, reversal of anticoagulation where applicable, and neurosurgical haematoma evacuation in selected cases with significant mass effect.
• Stroke unit admission, structured physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and secondary prevention medication (antiplatelet agents, anticoagulation for AF, statins, antihypertensives) complete the acute and rehabilitation phases.

Why Choose CARE CHL Hospitals for Stroke Treatment in Indore?

CARE CHL Hospitals, Indore, operates a dedicated stroke unit with 24-hour neurology and neuroradiology cover, enabling acute assessment and imaging at any time of day or night. Intravenous thrombolysis is available within the treatment window and the hospital has the interventional capability for mechanical thrombectomy in large-vessel occlusion stroke.

A structured stroke rehabilitation programme coordinates neurology, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy from the acute admission through to discharge and outpatient follow up. Secondary prevention is systematically addressed before discharge, with dedicated stroke follow-up clinics ensuring that blood pressure, cholesterol, anticoagulation and lifestyle targets are maintained.