VIA Times – August 2017 Issue Vital News, Vibrant VIews for Asian Americans in Chicago & Midwest
By: Melody Rabor-Dizon
It is not uncommon from time to time to hear someone suffer from a stroke or let alone not survive a stroke. What’s worse is that these population is growing and getting younger by the year. Over a period of 2 weeks, I’ve heard devastating news of younger men in their early 30’s to their early 40’s dying of stroke. And to think I know these people too.
The least I could do to honor their life is to educate the public and create awareness. So let’s tackle this issue as we are faced with them, if not a friend, a distant relative or someone you knew from the past.
What is a stroke?
A stroke means sudden damage to the brain wherein blood supply to the brain is interrupted , either by blocked arteries or because a blood vessel within the brain ruptures. Without a continuous supply of oxygen and nutrients, brain cells begin to die rapidly, and without immediate medical attention, the damage can be extensive and permanent, and ultimately fatal. And because your brain controls everything you do – your movements, your speech, the way you think and what you feel, all of that gets affected. There are two ways in which a stroke can happen:
• There might be a small clot in a blood vessel, causing a blockage
• A blood vessel might burst.
What are the symptoms of a stroke?
The American Heart Association has an easy way for you to remember the early warning signs of a stroke so that you can act “F.A.S.T.” Check for the following signs:
Face drooping Ask the person to smile, and see if their smile seems crooked.
Arm weakness Ask if one arm is numb or weak, and have them raise both arms to check their strength.
Speech difficulty Is the person slurring their speech or speaking incoherently?
Time to call 911 Call immediately, and note the time you first noticed the symptoms.
Stroke symptoms depend on the part of the brain affected and the size of the damaged area. If a person has a stroke, symptoms can include:
• Weakness in parts of the body – usually, half of the face and half of the body, for example the right side of the face, the left arm and the left leg. The body is often affected on the opposite side to the face because of the special way the brain is wired; each side of the brain controls the same side of the face and the opposite side of the body
• Paralysis of part of the body – this means the person is completely unable to move that part of the body
• The person may be unable to understand what people say – as if they were talking an unknown foreign language
• The person may be unable to say what he or she thinks or simply be unable to think, and become very confused
• The person might lose part of his or her sight, have difficulties with balance or be unable to swallow
• The person might have a problem with control of the bladder or bowels – this means that they cannot control when they need to go to the bathroom and may pass water (urinate) or empty their bowels without realizing. If people wet or soil themselves like this, it is called ‘being incontinent’.
What is a ‘mini-stroke’?
Sometimes people have a ‘mini stroke’, which means that the symptoms are not permanent and they get better within 24 hours. The person should see a doctor immediately to find out why it happened and to get treatment to stop a full stroke happening.
How could I avoid having a stroke?
If you witness how devastating a stroke can be, you may start to worry about having a stroke yourself. Strokes are far more common at an old age but they can happen to anyone. It is unlikely that you will need to worry, because most strokes do not run in the family.
Whether you have a relative with a stroke or not, however, there are several things that anybody can do to make a stroke less likely. These include:
• Stopping smoking. Smoking doubles the risk of a stroke
• Avoiding drugs. Some drugs – including cocaine, heroine, amphetamines or ‘crack’ – could trigger a stroke
• Limiting the amount of alcohol you drink. One or two units of alcohol per day seems to be fine, but more than this may increase your chances of a stroke
• Eating a balanced diet and avoiding foods high in salt and fat
• Exercising regularly
• Trying to avoid stress Prevention and Recovery in Young Stroke
• Work with your doctor to identify underlying diseases.
• Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight.
• Eat a diet low in saturated fat and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Start controlling high blood pressure and high cholesterol at an early age.
• Recognize and control diabetes.
• Avoid alcohol, drugs, and smoking.
Will a person who has a stroke get better?
It is very difficult to say in advance whether things will ever be the same as they were before the stroke, and in most cases some disabilities remain. It all depends on how big the stroke is, and how large an area of the brain it affects.
The treatment depends on the type of stroke. The person will need specialized help called physiotherapy to recover some lost physical skills.
What can I do to support a person who had a stroke?
• Try to remain optimistic. Most people who have a stroke do get better after some time, even if it takes months. Most people who have a stroke suffer depression – this means that they are very sad most of the time, even if they try not to be. Being sad can easily spread to all the family. It helps if you can be positive and cheerful.
• Be as patient as you can possibly be. Imagine how frustrating it might be to need help and extra time for small tasks that even little children can manage.
• If the person who has had the stroke lives at home, you might see some changes in the food provided for family meals. Even if you think these changes are a nuisance, try to adjust without too much fuss – the changes might be good for you, too!
Things to consider:
According to a new study published in JAMA Neurology, more and more young people are having strokes. Hospitalizations for ischemic stroke—the most common type, caused by a clot that blocks blood flow to the brain—rose by 42 percent in men ages 35 to 44.
About every 40 seconds, someone has a stroke in the United States, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention — and from the moment the first symptoms occur, the clock is ticking.
Medical professionals refer to the first 3 hours after the onset of a stroke as the “golden window.” Those who receive medical treatment within those first 3 hours stand a much better chance of living and avoiding permanent injury from a stroke than those who don’t.
Unfortunately, this is a message many people, especially younger people, aren’t getting. A new national survey found that people under age 45 often underestimate the symptoms of a stroke and the urgency to seek medical help. That delay is not only disturbing; it could prove deadly.
The risks are real. The truth is, anyone, even younger people, can be at risk for troke, especially with obesity rates at an all-time high. Not only are Americans heavier, but we’re dealing with diseases like diabetes much earlier in life, leading to high blood pressure and high cholesterol giving you a lifetime risk for stroke.
Most strokes can be treated. Regardless of a patient’s age, most strokes (about 85 percent) are ischemic strokes, in which an artery that carries blood to the brain becomes blocked, usually by a clot. If patients arrive at the hospital soon enough, doctors can give them drugs called tissue plasminogen activators (tPA) to break up the clots and restore blood flow. In some cases, surgery is necessary. We also perform surgery for hemorrhagic strokes, which occur when an artery in the brain ruptures or leaks blood directly into the brain.
Stroke in people under age 45 requires a different approach to treatment and management because you need to look for different causes. “Compared to stroke in older people, stroke in the young is a different beast
“Cardiogenic causes account for more stroke in young adults. Another cause to watch out for in young people is drug use, especially intravenous drugs,” says Dr. Azizi. Cardiogenic causes may include rheumatic heart disease, heart valve abnormalities, and being born with a hole between the right and left side of the heart, called patent foramen ovale.
“Up to 25 percent of stroke under age 45 is caused by a dissecting blood vessel in the neck. This is a small tear in a big blood vessel that causes a clot to form and travel to the brain. Other stroke causes that have been linked to younger stroke age include migraine, pregnancy, birth control pills, and smoking,” says Dr. Russman.
Stroke in young people can mean a lifetime of recovery and a loss of many productive years. About 15 to 30 percent of people who have a stroke have some longterm disability. A 30-year-old has a better rate of recovery than an 80-year-old because of better brain plasticity.
The key to managing stroke in young people is to identify and treat their underlying causes. Reducing risk factors, just as in older stroke, is the key to preventing a first stroke or a recurrent stroke.
Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in men, as recently reported.
Downplaying danger It’s natural for younger people to be inclined to think that symptoms of a stroke are likely due to something else. Unfortunately, those cardinal signs of stroke are the only trigger or alert that we have to implement prompt diagnosis, and importantly, effective treatments. Given the results of this survey, it’s clear we need to do a better job of making all patients aware of the signs of a stroke and the urgency to seek treatment before it’s too late.
Because the risk factors are stealthy and there’s little awareness of stroke in younger people, the tendency is to downplay any immediate danger. Even if the condition is addressed 10, 20, 30 years down the road, some of the damage probably has been done, per research. The importance of intervening with these treatable risk factors early has a huge potential benefit.
Mga kapatid, that’s the truth. When we downplay our symptoms that’s when it hits us like a thief in the night. Listen to your body, visit your doctor, go to that yearly check up, take your medicines regularly, drink water, exercise. Now, if you have done all that and still suffer a stroke, there is always that x factor of our genetic make up that whatever and however and no matter what we do, we are destined because of our risk factors, but then again, if you can control and manage your risk factors, well and good. It’s just heartbreaking to lose young men to stroke, if it can be prevented. I hope I have done my part by informing the readers what it is and what needs to be done. I AM AN ADVOCATE FOR YOUR HEALTH, ALWAYS.
Resources: www.webmd.com, www.everydayhealth.com www.menshealth.com www.livescience.com
