The incidence of stroke is gradually increasing every year, which makes people have to be vigilant. What exactly is a stroke and how can it be prevented?
The true face of stroke
Stroke, commonly known as stroke, is a series of serious problems caused by a sudden interruption of blood circulation to the brain. Depending on the cause, strokes are usually divided into two main categories:
1. Ischemic stroke: the most common type, accounting for about 80%. Due to atherosclerosis or blockage of blood clots, blood flow to the brain is drastically reduced, causing brain cells to lack oxygen and not work properly.
2. Hemorrhagic stroke: about 20%, including intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage. High blood pressure is the main cause, and after the weakness of the blood vessel wall ruptures, blood seeps into the brain tissue and damages brain cells.
Watch out for signs of stroke
Strokes often occur suddenly, but there are some precursors:
1. Slurred speech: slurred speech, or inability to find suitable words;
2. Unilateral numbness or weakness: sudden numbness of the face, arms, or legs, especially on one side of the body;
3. Blurred vision: including temporary blindness, blurred vision in both eyes or monocular eyes;
4. Severe headache: sudden, severe headache with no obvious cause;
5. Balance disorders: Shaking when walking, or not being able to maintain a standing posture.
If you or someone close to you is experiencing any of these symptoms, call for help and seek emergency medical help immediately.
Who are the high-risk groups for stroke?
Stroke doesn't happen for no reason, it has a certain "preference".
Patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and coronary heart disease, as well as people with unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking, drinking, and obesity, are all high-risk groups for stroke.
In addition, age is also an important factor in stroke, and the degeneration of cerebral blood vessels increases the risk of stroke as we age.
How is it treated?
In the event of a stroke, immediate medical intervention is crucial:
1. Thrombolytic therapy: For patients with ischemic stroke, the use of thrombolytic drugs can unblock the occluded blood vessels within a few hours.
2. Interventional therapy: For large vessel occlusive stroke, mechanical thrombectomy can directly remove the thrombus from the blood vessels.
3. Surgical treatment: For some patients with hemorrhagic stroke, surgery is an effective way to remove the hematoma, reduce compression, or repair ruptured blood vessels.
What should be done to prevent stroke?
The fight against stroke is not out of reach. Here are five actionable precautions in life:
1. Eat a healthy diet: Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, and limit your intake of salt, high-fat, and high-cholesterol foods.
2. Moderate exercise: At least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, swimming, or cycling.
3. Quit smoking and limit alcohol: Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can damage blood vessels and increase the risk of stroke.
4. Weight control: Maintain a normal body mass index (BMI) to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
5. Regular check-ups: Understand and manage chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
Actively treating chronic diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, and controlling these risk factors are important measures to prevent stroke.
How to care for stroke patients on a daily basis
1. Basic life care
Dietary management: Provide nutritionally balanced food, help patients to eat or encourage self-feeding, and arrange swallowing training if necessary.
Personal hygiene: Help patients with daily washing, bathing, etc., to prevent skin infections and pressure ulcers.
Excretory care: Depending on the patient's condition, the use of a urinary catheter or regular toilet assistance and diaper changes may be required.
2. Exercise and rehabilitation
Physical therapy: Appropriate rehabilitation exercises as recommended by your doctor or physiotherapist to prevent joint stiffness and muscle atrophy.
Speech therapy: If the patient has a speech impairment, speech therapy should be given to help restore language skills.
Daily living skills training: Encourage patients to participate in daily activities such as dressing and washing to enhance their self-care ability.
3. Medication management
Medication guidance: Make sure that patients take the medication prescribed by the doctor on time and in the right amount, and monitor the side effects of the medication.
Follow-up monitoring: record key indicators such as blood pressure and blood sugar of patients, and contact doctors to adjust treatment plans if necessary.
4. Emotional support
Psychological counseling: Listen to the patient's thoughts and emotions, and give positive psychological support and encouragement.
Social interaction: Encourage family members and friends to communicate with the patient to avoid feeling lonely and depressed.
5. Prevent complications
Monitor for symptoms: Pay attention to monitoring for any abnormal symptoms, such as signs of infection, difficulty breathing, signs of another stroke, etc.
Regular follow-up: Take patients to the hospital for regular check-ups to keep abreast of recovery and adjust treatment plans.
6. Environmental safety
Modify the living space: Make sure there are no obstacles in the home, and install auxiliary facilities such as handrails and accessible toilets if necessary.
Fall prevention measures: Lay non-slip mats in necessary places to ensure the safety of patients.
7. Education and Training
Disease knowledge: Educate patients and their families about stroke, including the causes, strategies to prevent recurrence, etc.
First aid training: Teach families how to recognise the signs of a stroke and what to do in an emergency.
Every stroke patient is different, so care plans need to be tailored to the specific needs of the individual. It is important to maintain close communication with the professional medical team in order to provide the most appropriate care and recovery guidance for the patient.
In the unfortunate event of a stroke, prompt first aid and rehabilitation are equally important. Immediately after a stroke, the emergency number should be called and the patient should be taken to the hospital for professional treatment.
During the first aid process, the patient's airway should be kept open to avoid blockage of the airway with vomit, and at the same time, it should be avoided to move the patient at will to avoid aggravating the condition. In the rehabilitation stage, patients need to undergo rehabilitation training under the guidance of doctors, including limb function training, language function training, etc., to recover their ability to live as soon as possible.
Although stroke is terrible, as long as we have the right prevention and treatment methods, we can effectively reduce its morbidity and mortality.