Find Out Information about the Brain Stem and the Problem

Have you ever heard of the brain stem? The brain stem is the part that looks like a stem at the base of the brain that is connected to the spinal cord. The brain stem consists of four parts, namely diencephalon, mesencephalon, punch, and medulla oblongata. These various parts control the vital functions of the body such as breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate or pulse. The brain is one of the largest and most complex organs in the human body. The brain consists of more than 100 billion nerves that communicate in trillions of connections called synapses. Most of the brain's physiological tasks involve receiving information from other members of the body, interpreting the information, and then guiding the body's response to it. The brain is divided into several parts, it includes the cerebrum or cerebrum, cerebellum or cerebellum, diencephalon, and brain stem. The brain stem has an important role, namely controlling the flow of messages between the brain and other body parts, as well as controlling basic bodily functions such as breathing, swallowing, heart rate, blood pressure, and ascertaining whether a person is conscious or asleep. The brain stem is composed of white matter and gray matter. Gray tissue (neuronal body cells) are found in all parts of the brain stem to form cranial nerve nuclei, reticular formation, and pontine nuclei. While the white one consists of fibers in the tract (neuronal cell axons) which are derived from the cerebral cortex, and ascend from the peripheral nerve and spinal cord to the highest part of the brain.

Problems with the Brain Stem

The brain and brain stem are protected from damage by several layers of defense. The outer portion is protected by the skull bones, under the skull bones are meninges or membranes of the brain and spinal cord, then under the meninges there are cerebrospinal fluid, or also called cerebrospinal fluid. Despite being coated with protection, the brain can actually be damaged, become sick, or malfunction. Problems that often occur in the brain include brain cancer, physical injuries such as skull fractures or head injuries, and hemorrhagic strokes, which are bursts of blood vessels that supply blood to the brain. Not only the brain, even the brain stem can also experience problems or damage, such as brain stem stroke and brain stem death, the following explanation:

• Brain stem stroke

Stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off. Disruption and the severity of a stroke depend on which part of the brain is damaged, and the extent of the affected area. Above the spinal cord, the brain stem also controls speech, swallowing, listening, and movements in your eyes. Impulses sent by other parts of the brain travel through the brain stem. Humans depend on the function of the brain stem to survive. And brain stem strokes can actually threaten vital body functions and can be life-threatening. There are two types of brainstem strokes, namely ischemic stroke (the most common) and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic stroke is caused by a blockage in the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain. While hemorrhagic stroke is a stroke that occurs due to rupture of cerebral blood vessels. This can cause blood to build up and put pressure on the brain. Some conditions that increase the risk of developing brain stem stroke, namely high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, blood disorders, pregnancy, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. Symptoms include dizziness, loss of balance, nausea / vomiting, difficulty speaking and swallowing, slurred speech, numbness and weakness on one side of the body, unequal sized pupils, sudden headaches, vertigo, or hearing loss.

• Brain stem death

Brain stem death occurs when a person no longer has brain stem function, and permanently loses the potential for awareness and the ability to breathe. If this happens, a ventilator is needed to help carry out respiratory function. There are several causes of brain stem death, namely heart attacks, strokes, blood clots or blockages in blood vessels, severe head injuries, brain bleeding, infections such as inflammation of the brain, brain tumors, overdoses, and hypothermia. Brain stem death means someone has lost brain stem function and is very likely to have overall brain death. Although with the help of a ventilator machine and supportive care respiratory function and oxygen supply can be fulfilled, sublime functions such as talking, eating, breathing naturally, and thinking are gone. Are brain stem dead and vegetative status the same? Similar but not the same, in the condition of vegetative status, the sufferer can still show a minimal response such as blinking or moving a finger but he does not respond to the surrounding conditions. There is a vegetative status condition that at first glance it seems as if the sufferer can still respond minimally to the surroundings but this is very rare. In the condition of vegetative status, a person may still have sublime functions and less likely to be able to breathe spontaneously without the help of machines. In this condition a doctor needs to explain to the family about the patient's condition clearly so that the family can decide to continue the ventilator installation or not.

Do not underestimate the existence of problems in your brain stem. If you experience the symptoms described above, consult your doctor immediately to get the right treatment. Processes that damage the brain stem can bring death or disability in a short time. Overcome the various factors that increase your risk of experiencing brain stem disorders. Regular exercise and healthy intake will keep all the vital functions of the body running normally.