Introduction
Circulatory disorders in the brain are a common disease, especially older patients are affected. If a circulatory disorder leads to the occlusion of a blood vessel in the brain, one speaks of a stroke. The symptoms can be very varied and are not always clearly visible at first glance, even for doctors. However, there are warning signs that indicate poor blood flow to the brain.
Typical symptoms of a circulatory disorder in the brain
- Sudden disturbances of consciousness
- Impairment of memory (forgetfulness to dementia)
- Sensory disorders (tingling, numbness) and
- Impairment of motor function (muscle weakness up to complete paralysis of one extremity or side of the body)
- Visual disorders (double images, blurred vision) up to complete loss of vision
- Speech disorders (articulation disorders, word finding disorders) up to loss of speech
- Dizziness with gait and coordination disorders
- Tiredness and
- Lack of concentration
- Headaches and
- Neurological accompanying symptoms like epileptic seizures
Circulatory disorders in the brain are particularly common in older patients and can manifest themselves in a wide variety of symptoms. One symptom, for example, is forgetfulness. It is often very difficult to distinguish between normal forgetfulness of old age and forgetfulness caused by circulatory disorders.
A visit to a neurologist is therefore recommended. The neurologist can carry out various neuropsychological tests and arrange for brain imaging to determine whether the forgetfulness is due to circulatory problems in the brain. An ultrasound of the carotid artery is also useful to assess the risk of arteriosclerosis.
Dementia can also be caused by circulatory disorders in the brain. This is then called vascular dementia. The hypothesis behind this is that the circulatory disorders have led to many small unnoticed (silent) strokes.
As a result, the nerve cells in these regions of the brain that are no longer supplied with blood die. This has a lasting effect on brain performance and ultimately leads to dementia. In addition to Alzheimer’s disease, circulatory disorders in the brain are a very common cause of dementia.
Circulatory disorders in the brain always lead to an impairment of nerve cell function. If regions in the brain responsible for sensitivity are affected, disturbances in this area can lead to numbness or tingling. Mostly the other side of the body is then affected.
In the case of circulatory disorders in the left hemisphere of the brain, a tingling or numbness often occurs on the right side of the body. It does not always have to be the whole side of the body, it can also only affect the upper or lower extremity. Vision problems can have numerous causes.
In addition to eye diseases, diseases of the optic nerve can also be behind it. But circulatory disorders in the brain also cause visual disorders. These are often short-term episodes with loss of vision.
In the technical language this is called Amaurosis fugax. Usually only one eye is affected. In addition to complete loss of vision, double images and visual field failures can occur.
In most cases, circulatory disturbances in the brain also cause other symptoms such as a tingling in the face or weakness of the mimic muscles. Speech disorders are also possible. In this case the diagnosis of a neurological disease is quite clear.
A suspected circulatory disturbance in the brain as part of a stroke is always an emergency. The patient should immediately see a doctor and be taken to a special stroke unit. Eye diseases can still be excluded in the next step.
Fatigue is a very common symptom. It can have numerous causes. First and foremost, fatigue is certainly associated with anemia due to iron deficiency or hypothyroidism.
But nevertheless one should also think of circulatory disorders of the brain. Due to the lack of oxygen, the function of the nerve cells in the brain is restricted. The brain’s performance continuously decreases.
This also causes unspecific symptoms such as fatigue, exhaustion and concentration disorders. A depressive component can also be added. A lack of concentration can certainly indicate circulatory disorders in the brain.
Of course, a harmless trigger such as stress can also be behind it.Due to a circulatory disorder, however, oxygen transport to the nerve cells of the brain is not permanently guaranteed. However, the brain can only be efficient in the presence of oxygen. The same applies by the way also to sugar (glucose).
Who is unterzuckert, because one did not eat for a longer time, can concentrate also badly. It is then the doctor’s job to find out to what extent concentration disorders exist due to stress or in the context of normal everyday life, or whether there is a circulatory disorder. Tinnitus is a noise in the ear such as whistling, buzzing or hissing.
It originates in the inner ear and is only perceived by the patient. It does not have to be present permanently. It can only occur temporarily.
Both ears or only one can be affected. The trigger for tinnitus can be a circulatory disorder. Usually, the hearing organ in the inner ear is not sufficiently supplied with blood.
The hearing cells then react with this malfunction to the lack of oxygen. For the therapy of the hearing disorder, blood circulation-enhancing drugs are therefore used. A speech disorder (aphasia) is a clear sign of a circulatory disorder in the brain.
There are different forms of aphasia, depending on which part of the brain is affected by the circulatory disorder. In the case of a speech disorder according to Broca, it is primarily the speech formation that is disturbed. This is also called motor aphasia.
In contrast, there is a sensory aphasia. In this case, speech comprehension is severely impaired. In global aphasia, both speech formation and comprehension are damaged.
The anamnestic aphasia is more likely to occur with head injuries and is characterized by word finding disorders. Epileptic seizures can have numerous causes. The imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory impulses causes the excitation to spread uncontrollably to entire nerve cell groups.
In the case of circulatory disorders in the brain, the risk of epileptic seizures is significantly increased. About 5 percent of all stroke patients suffer an epileptic seizure in the first week after the stroke. However, in significantly more than half of those affected, it is a one-off event.
Drug therapy for epilepsy is not necessary. Headaches are a very common symptom. In most cases, the causes are harmless, such as a fluid deficit caused by insufficient drinking or stress.
But also circulatory disorders in the brain can cause headaches. Therefore, if it is a severe headache or if other neurological accompanying symptoms occur, a doctor should be consulted immediately. Chronic headaches should also be clarified neurologically, as they can also have more threatening causes such as circulatory disorders.