For 66-year-old Uncle Liu, late night became the starting point of a sudden nightmare. His otherwise peaceful night was shattered by a violent headache, followed by numbness in his right limb.
In the middle of the night, he tried to call his wife, but found that he could not even speak.
In the groping, he finally woke up his sleeping wife with one hand, and hurriedly dialed 120 in a panic.
Faced with a sudden crisis, the family is drawn into a vortex that does not know how it will end.
1. Wake up in the middle of the night: a dangerous moment for middle-aged and elderly people to have a cerebral infarction
Uncle Liu that night, his case was not an isolated case. The statistics reveal the fact that the proportion of middle-aged and elderly people who develop cerebral infarction at night is far from being taken lightly.
The brain is supposed to rest and repair at night, but for many middle-aged and elderly people, the night can become a health killer.
At night, the blood pressure in the human body will be relatively low, the blood flow in the blood vessels will slow down, and the blood vessel walls in the middle-aged and elderly will be hardened, and the blood vessel blockage in this state will be more likely to occur.
The emergency response in the middle of the night is relatively sluggish, and once the attack occurs, the symptoms are easy to ignore. The data is not unfounded, and we need to know that behind every number can be a family disruption.
Take Uncle Liu's case as an example, the night when he struggled all night due to cerebral infarction was a wake-up call on how to really exist in life.
The occurrence of nocturnal infarction often means that the prime time for treatment is likely to be delayed, and the outcome is often more severe. Therefore, middle-aged and elderly people need to be more vigilant about their nighttime health and detect signs of illness in time so that they can take action at the first time.
2. Uncontrolled chronic disease management: the dual threat of hypertension and diabetes
Just like the group of people represented by Uncle Liu, his history of hypertension for more than 20 years and diabetes for 10 years became the catalyst for his tragic fate.
Middle-aged and elderly people like him, under the devastation of long-term chronic diseases, the elasticity of blood vessels is gradually decreasing, and the blood flow resistance is increasing, which is an out-and-out assist to the occurrence of cerebral infarction.
They often choose to take medication temporarily when they feel unwell because they are worried about the side effects of drugs, and like Uncle Liu, they only reluctantly take one or two antihypertensive drugs when they are dizzy, and they frequently fail to manage hypertension and diabetes.
Of course, in addition to diabetes and high blood pressure, stress and unhealthy lifestyle habits common in middle-aged and elderly people may lead to mutations in physiological parameters, further exacerbating the risk of insufficient blood supply to the brain.
In fact, the slightest unsatisfactory life, the angry temper, the frequent consumption of tobacco and alcohol, or those speechless eating habits, all of which are putting on a battle robe for the cerebrovascular of middle-aged and elderly people.
When we lament the silent cerebral infarction of the sneak attack, should we also reflect on the bad behaviors that have accumulated little by little in our lives?
3. Health misunderstandings of middle-aged and elderly people: three behaviors increase the risk of cerebral infarction
In the middle-aged and older population, there are three behavioral patterns that are frequently mentioned, and they are considered unhealthy lifestyle habits that increase the risk of cerebral infarction.
The high-salt, high-fat, and high-sugar diet directly affects the health of blood vessels, resulting in the acceleration of arteriosclerosis and the increase of blood viscosity, thereby increasing the probability of cerebral infarction.
Secondly, the lack of regular physical activity is also a factor that cannot be ignored. Prolonged sedentary and inactive activities can slow blood circulation, lose the elasticity of blood vessel walls, and increase the risk of blood clots.
Finally, the habit of smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, both of which are the "enemies" of blood vessels, can damage vascular endothelial cells, exacerbate vascular inflammation, and further promote thrombosis.
Specific to daily life, these behaviors can manifest as overeating, preference for greasy foods, neglecting morning and evening walks or exercise, and choosing tobacco and alcohol to relieve stress and emotions.
These behaviors gradually accumulate at the physiological level and become a health hazard, and most people often miss the best opportunity to prevent and intervene when they realize the severity of the problem.
Therefore, for middle-aged and elderly people, changing these living habits is not only a revolution in lifestyle, but also a choice to be responsible for life.
4. The silent threat: the insidious and harmful effects of asymptomatic cerebral infarction
Silent brain infarction (SBI) is a special type of cerebral infarction, which does not show typical symptoms of cerebral infarction in clinical practice, such as hemiplegia and slurred speech, so it is often ignored by patients. However, this does not mean that it is less harmful than symptomatic cerebral infarction.
In fact, asymptomatic cerebral infarction may be a precursor to a serious cerebrovascular event in the future, suggesting that the patient's cerebrovascular lesions already have significant lesions.
Long-term inadequate blood pressure control, fluctuating blood glucose levels, and poor lifestyle habits may all be potential factors contributing to asymptomatic cerebral infarction.
In actual medical observation, through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), doctors can find traces of SBI in the brains of many middle-aged and elderly people who have not experienced symptoms of cerebral infarction.
These "silent" lesions, like the undercurrents lurking in the deep sea, may be calm on the surface, but if touched, they can lead to catastrophic consequences.
Therefore, for middle-aged and elderly people, regular brain imaging examinations are like "regular physical examinations" for brain health, which can help detect hidden dangers early and take corresponding preventive measures.
5. Prevention is better than cure: life recommendations for middle-aged and elderly people to reduce the risk of cerebral infarction
"Good medicine is good for disease, and good advice is good for action. "For middle-aged and elderly friends, prevention is more important than cure. For introspection, there are a few guides in life that can help us stay away from the threat of cerebral infarction.
First of all, eat a balanced diet, reduce salt and fat intake, eat more vegetables and fruits, and remember that "five grains are nourishing, and five fruits are helping".
In addition, moderate exercise, such as walking, tai chi or swimming, can not only strengthen the body, but also improve the function of the cardiovascular system and reduce the risk of thrombosis.
At the same time, it is recommended that middle-aged and elderly people have regular physical examinations and strictly control blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, which is not only responsible for their own health, but also reduces the medical burden that may occur in the future for the family.
Don't forget to maintain a good pace of life, arrange work and rest reasonably, and maintain a positive and optimistic attitude. In the face of the pressures and challenges in life, find a way that suits you to release the pressure and not let the emotional fluctuations affect your physical health.
epilogue
Looking at the details of our lives, do we have the awareness to adjust our diet, keep exercising, and control our emotions?
Do we recommend a comprehensive check-up to our families, or do we take practical actions to tell them about the importance of health?
Remember, a healthy lifestyle is a recipe for longevity that money can't buy.