October 29, 2022 is the 17th World Stroke Day [cù zhòng]. This year’s theme is “Recognize a Stroke One Second Earlier, Save Your Brain to Recover”.
what is a stroke
Stroke, also known as “stroke”, is a disease that damages brain tissue due to sudden rupture of blood vessels in the brain or blockage of blood vessels that prevents blood from flowing into the brain.
Stroke can generally be divided into two categories: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic stroke, which is caused by stenosis of cerebral arteries or thrombus in other parts, is often referred to as “cerebral infarction”, and hemorrhagic stroke is cerebral artery. High internal pressure, weak arterial wall and other reasons lead to local arterial rupture and hemorrhage, both of which can cause brain cells to fail to receive blood supply.
Stroke has the “five highs” characteristics of high morbidity rate, high recurrence rate, high disability rate, high mortality rate and high economic burden.
No. 1 cause of death in our country
1 in 6 people in the world may suffer from a stroke, 1 person dies from a stroke every 6 seconds, and 1 person is permanently disabled from a stroke every 6 seconds. Since 2005, stroke has been the leading cause of death in our country. There are 2.4 million new strokes and 1.1 million stroke-related deaths in my country every year.
Three types of symptoms after stroke
The first is speech disorder, which is manifested as slurred speech, inability to express one’s wishes in words, or incomprehension of what others say.
The second is limb disorder, which is manifested as asymmetrical faces on both sides, drooping corners of one side of the mouth, different arm strength on both sides, one side will droop when horizontally lifted, and the arms will also appear numb.
The third is balance disorder, which is manifested as loss of balance, inability to walk in a straight line, and walking with one foot deep and one foot shallow.
Once the above 1-2 situations occur, you should immediately call the 120 emergency number and send the patient to the doctor for treatment.
“Stroke 120” formula to identify stroke
Keep in mind the “stroke 120” formula to quickly identify stroke.
1 – Seeing an asymmetrical face.
2 – Check for unilateral weakness in both arms.
0 – Listen (zero) to hear whether the speech is clear.
First aid window period of 8 hours
At present, the most effective treatment methods for ischemic stroke are intravenous thrombolysis and arterial thrombectomy. The effective window of first aid is preferably within 8 hours. If the golden time window is missed, the patient will lose the opportunity for rapid recovery, resulting in disability or even loss of life.
Winter is high stroke season
Winter is the season of high incidence of stroke, especially the elderly should avoid exercising too early in the morning. Squatting for a long time, heart disease should also be paid attention to, and the monitoring of blood lipids, blood sugar, blood pressure, and weight should be strengthened.
Stroke at a younger age
Stroke is no longer just a “senile disease”, and in recent years, the incidence has become younger. According to the “China Stroke Prevention and Control Report (2020)” compiled by experts from the Stroke Prevention and Control Engineering Committee of the National Health and Medical Commission, among the newly screened high-risk groups of stroke in 2019, the proportion of people aged 40 to 64 years old was 73.48%.
Excessive stress, lack of sleep time, irregular diet, poor weight management, smoking, drinking, etc. are all risk factors for stroke.
These 8 elements are important
Diet: Eat more fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, whole grains, low-fat dairy products. Eat less red and processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, and reduce your salt intake.
Exercise: Adults are recommended to do ≥150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or ≥75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week. The intensity of activity varies from person to person, and you can choose the time and method of exercise that suits you.
Quit smoking: Stay away from nicotine exposure, including traditional combustible cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and electronic atomizers. Quit smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke.
Sleep: Maintain an appropriate sleep time every day, and sleep too short or too long is associated with coronary heart disease, stroke and dementia.
Weight: Keeping a body mass index (BMI) below 25 reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome.
Blood lipids: Control blood lipid levels through diet and exercise. If blood lipid levels are too high, drug treatment is required.
Blood sugar: Control your blood sugar to avoid diabetes.
Blood pressure: Maintain blood pressure within a healthy range. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
Watch out for screening
It is recommended that people under the age of 35 have their blood pressure measured once a year, especially those who have a family history and a family history of cerebrovascular disease, and pay more attention to blood pressure. People over the age of 30 should check their blood lipids, and they should check their glycated hemoglobin in the annual health check-up, and check the average blood sugar for 3 months. Women over the age of 40 should pay attention to the changes in blood lipids and coronary arteries before and after menopause.
(Comprehensive from Healthy China, The Paper, Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily)
Workers Daily Client “Le Health” Issue 284
Editor of this issue: Wu Lirong Chenglu