68-year-old Uncle Li was sitting in the tavern, and he was the only one around, with several bottles of liquor in front of him.
His breathing grew heavier and his eyes became more misty. Suddenly, his body shuddered violently, and then the whole person collapsed on the table, motionless.
Seeing this, the owner of the hotel hurriedly called the emergency number, but unfortunately, when the doctor arrived at the scene, Uncle Li had already passed away.
After the doctor's diagnosis, the cause of Uncle Li's death was cardiac arrest caused by excessive alcohol consumption.
Uncle Li's son cried and said: "I have long persuaded him to drink less, but he just doesn't listen, and always says, 'Life must be happy', and now he ends up like this......"
1. The sudden end of life: sudden death
Sudden death, just by seeing the word, a huge sense of fear has enveloped my heart.
According to the "China Cardiovascular Disease Report 2018" released by the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, the number of sudden deaths in mainland China is as high as 550,000 every year, and sudden central death accounts for 75% of the causes of sudden death, and non-cardiac diseases account for 25%. The annual incidence of sudden cardiac death is about 41.84 per 100,000, and the incidence rate of males is significantly higher than that of females.
What is sudden death? The World Health Organization defines it as "sudden death due to natural diseases in an unexpectedly short period of time in a patient who is in good health or appears to be healthy", which is characterized by sudden, rapid and unforeseeable, and there are two peaks between 6 months after birth and 30~50 years old.
It is worth noting that sudden death is not the same as accidental death, and its appearance is "traceable".
Suffering from cardiovascular disease: Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of sudden death. This includes coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, congenital heart disease, myocarditis, etc.
Sudden cardiac death (SCD): Sudden cardiac death is the most common type of sudden death, and its etiology is often related to tachyventricular arrhythmias. Studies have shown that most patients already have significant alarm symptoms 4 weeks before experiencing SCD.
Excessive exercise: strenuous exercise or overexertion is also a significant cause of sudden death.
Poor lifestyle: Unhealthy lifestyles such as excessive diet, smoking, and lack of exercise, which can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, which can lead to sudden death.
2. Before sudden death, the body has already been warned
Sudden death, although it comes unexpectedly, but before the arrival of the body will actually have a "hidden signal", grasp these symptoms, and save yourself and others at a critical moment.
1. Severe headache
Alcohol stimulates blood vessels and cranial nerves, and heavy drinking may worsen this irritation, leading to severe headaches, which may be a precursor to sudden death.
2. Chest tightness and shortness of breath
Alcohol overdose can cause heart damage, leading to rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, paleness, nausea, vomiting, confusion and other symptoms.
3. Severe pain in the upper abdomen
Alcohol stimulates increased gastric acid secretion, which may induce acute pancreatitis, resulting in severe epigastric pain and possible sudden death in severe cases.
4. Difficulty breathing
Alcohol depresses the central nervous system, which may lead to a weakened airway muscle response and blockage of the airway with vomit, causing dyspnea and a risk of choking.
5. Arrhythmia
Feeling the heart beat irregularities, rapid or slow contractions of the heart, prolonged intervals, paleness, sweating, etc.
3. There is also a way to prevent sudden death! Doctors suggest: You can start from two aspects
Zheng Ruyi, deputy chief physician of the Cardiovascular Medicine Center of the Third People's Hospital of Huizhou, suggested that regular screening and health management should be followed:
On the one hand, do a good job of regular physical examinations.
Not only can this detect heart disease early, but it can also help assess heart health and prevent heart disease from occurring.
For people over the age of 50 and those with chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, regular heart-related checkups are essential.
On the other hand, to develop good living habits, mainly start from these 3 aspects:
First, maintain a healthy diet. Reduce the intake of high-fat, high-sugar and high-salt foods, and ensure a daily intake of a variety of foods, including cereals and potatoes, vegetables and fruits, livestock, poultry, fish, eggs and milk, etc., to ensure comprehensive nutrition.
Second, keep moving. Moderate daily exercise can improve cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiac reserve, but overexertion and strenuous exercise should be avoided.
Also, get enough sleep. Long-term sleep deprivation may increase the probability of sudden death, requiring at least 7-8 hours of high-quality sleep per day.
Resources:
[1] "Is the sudden tingling pain in the chest because of imminent sudden death?", Popular Science China.2024-03-22
[2] "Emergency Doctor Reminds: Before Sudden Death, Don't Ignore the 3 Distress Signals of the Body!", Ding Xiang Doctor.2023-05-24
[3] "What are the signs before sudden death?", Tencent Medical Codex.2023-07-20
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