Who should treat a stroke: a medical doctor or a native healer?

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Stroke is a medical condition that occurs when there is interruption in the blood supply to a part of the brain, leading to brain damage.

Strokes may cause sudden weakness on one side of the body, difficulty speaking, difficulty swallowing, loss of vision, confusion, or difficulty walking.

There are people who believe medical doctors should treat stroke while others prefer native healers.

What can medical doctors do for someone with a stroke?

• Diagnosing a stroke: Doctors are able to accurately determine whether someone has had a stroke, the type of stroke, and the part of the brain affected using a brain scan.

  This helps guide the treatment for someone who has had a stroke.

• Immediate treatment: If someone who has had a stroke arrives at the hospital early (immediately or within a few hours), treatments can be given to prevent permanent damage to the affected part of the brain.

• Preventing further brain damage: Doctors prevent further damage to the affected part of the brain by ensuring the person receives enough oxygen and giving treatments for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart problems, or any other health issues that may be present.

  People with stroke who cannot swallow or are unconscious are given appropriate treatments as well.

• Follow up: After discharge from the hospital, someone who has had a stroke would undergo rehabilitation to help with recovery.

  They are also given medicines and lifestyle advice to prevent another stroke from occurring.

Which specialists treats stroke? Neurologists are specialists who treat stroke.

What can native healers do for someone with a stroke?

• Herbal medicine: Native healers often give herbal medicine to people suspected of having a stroke.

  However, for those who are unconscious or cannot swallow, giving them medicine to drink can lead to serious problems, such as inhaling the medicine into the lungs, lung infections, or choking to death.

• Traditional massage: Some Native healers use massage techniques to improve movement and relieve stiffness.

Native healers have no way to confirm whether someone has had a stroke, the type of stroke, or the affected part of the brain.

They also cannot prevent further brain damage or the occurrence of another stroke using traditional methods.

So, who should treat a stroke?

From everything we have discussed, it’s clear that medical doctors are the most capable of treating people with strokes.