Delayed treatment reduces the likelihood of recovery. About 90 percent of stroke patients do not fully recover.
What you should know
Recently, the problem of stroke has been increasing among children and young people. Stroke is an emergency condition that occurs when blood flow to the brain is suddenly interrupted.
Stroke is now the fourth leading cause of death in the world and is projected to become the first cause within the next 5-7 years. Stroke is now occurring even in children aged 10-12, which is a very worrying situation. It can be prevented by getting timely information about one's health condition. If the patient reaches the hospital within 4 hours of a stroke, the chances of survival are high and the risk of paralysis can be reduced. Delayed treatment reduces the chances of it being restored to its previous state. About 90 percent of patients after a stroke cannot fully return to their previous state.
How does a stroke occur?
There are many causes of stroke. Some of these include chronic diseases. Such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease patients are more likely to experience this problem. Excessive smoking, alcohol, and drug abuse can cause this problem.
Types of Stroke
Ischemic Stroke: An ischemic stroke is a condition in which the blood flow to the brain is blocked due to a blockage in the blood vessels. When the blood flow is stopped, oxygen and nutrients do not reach that part. Due to which the brain cells gradually start dying.
Brain Hemorrhage: A condition in which the blood vessels in the brain suddenly burst and bleed, putting pressure on the brain tissues and damaging them. This occurs in about 10 percent of patients.
Why do children have strokes?
Some children have an abnormal swelling of the blood vessels in the brain, which is called AVM (arteriovenous malformation). It is often hereditary. Similarly, the risk of stroke is also increasing in the 15-25 year age group due to smoking and drug use.
Effects
Stroke affects one part of the body or the whole body. Problems such as inability to move a part of the body, slurred speech, weakness of the arms and legs are seen. In severe cases, there is a possibility of immediate death.
Prevention
The solution to prevention is with yourself. If you take care of your health in time, you can avoid it. If you adopt measures such as regular health check-ups, keeping blood pressure and diabetes under control, taking the medicine prescribed by the doctor regularly, controlling smoking and alcohol consumption, and exercising regularly, you can avoid it.
(Based on a conversation with Prada Jha. Jha is the head of the Department of Neurology at Bir Hospital and the head of the Department of Neurosurgery at Norvic International Hospital.)
