Stroke is the second most common “killer” of people worldwide. In modern Russia, stroke is the second most common cause of death after myocardial infarction. Every year, 450,000 people suffer a stroke, which is actually the population of a large city. For Primorye, the problem of mortality from strokes is more than relevant. How to prevent this serious disease? Doctors from medical institutions in Vladivostok tell us about this.
Stroke is an acute cerebrovascular accident that entails the most severe consequences – paralysis of varying severity, impaired coordination of movements, speech disorder and loss. Mortality from stroke is 25-35%, about a third of patients return to normal work and do not need outside help, and about a third of patients acquire various degrees of disability.
— A stroke is not an independent disease, but always a complication of some underlying human disease, — says Elena Voronchuk, head of the health center. — People who are constantly stressed, smokers, and those who do not know when to stop drinking alcohol are more susceptible to stroke than others. High blood pressure is also often the cause of stroke.
Doctors have calculated that regularly measuring blood pressure and keeping it within normal limits can reduce the number of strokes by 40-45%.
– At readings over 160/95 mm Hg, the risk of stroke increases 4 times, and at pressure over 200/115 mm Hg, 10 times, – warns the doctor. – The blood vessel, unable to withstand the increased pressure on the wall, ruptures, and blood enters the brain tissue. The resulting hemorrhage compresses the brain, causes its edema, and the brain area dies.
To prevent stroke and its recurrence, it is necessary to promptly treat the main diseases, the complication of which is often a stroke – atherosclerosis of blood vessels and hypertension. It is also important to avoid severe stress, give up smoking and alcohol, move more and, of course, visit a doctor regularly.
— It has been noted that strokes occur less frequently in those whose dietary intake of vitamin C is adequate, — the doctor emphasizes. — This vitamin protects arteries, reduces blood pressure, and also the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Therefore, if you regularly drink juice rich in vitamin C, even in small doses, you can reduce the risk of stroke. It is important to remember that pprovoke the occurrence of stroke smoking and drinking alcohol; use of oral contraceptives, especially in combination with smoking and high blood pressure; lack of physical activity; excess weight, consumption of fatty, spicy, salty foods.
What to do to prevent stroke?
— First of all, hypertension treatment and normalization of blood pressure are necessary, says Elena Voronchuk. – Control of cholesterol and blood glucose levels is also important. People under 30 need to check them once a year, older people – every six months. You should pay attention to your diet: daily consumption of 0.5 kg of fresh vegetables and fruits; moderate salt consumption; replacement of animal fats with vegetable fats.
Dairy products are also not always healthy. A third of the population does not have enzymes that can digest milk proteins and sugars. And milk fats are often poorly broken down. So the milk “ferments” in the stomach.
To prevent vascular crises, I use fatty fish, mackerel, and seaweed (I don’t eat it on an empty stomach, because the iodine in the cabbage irritates it). Blueberries and green tea also strengthen blood vessels well. Lightly fried and stewed tomatoes are a natural anti-cancer remedy. In general, it’s best to stew rather than fry any food, and pour unrefined vegetable oil over the dish before serving.
The doctor advises to drink a glass of live mineral (decarbonated) or drinking water on an empty stomach in the morning. The remains of yesterday’s food will be removed from the stomach. Prepare salads from carrots, beets and cabbage. That is, do not give the opportunity for food to become poison for your body.
There is a point that everyone needs to understand: if there is a history of early death from a “stroke” or vascular crisis in the family, it would be a good idea to have a cerebral vascular tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Modern methods of ultrasound diagnostics of cerebral vessels (with Doppler monitoring, for example) allow you to see the smallest defect in a vessel.
Here are the most common signs of a stroke.
– sudden numbness or weakness of the muscles of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body;
– sudden difficulties in articulation or speech perception;
– a sharp deterioration in vision in one or both eyes;
– sudden loss of coordination of movements, unsteadiness of gait, dizziness;
– a sharp and unexplained headache.
Very often people do not immediately realize that they have had a stroke.
“So, they can fall without any reason, and then feel good, but after some time, if the person was not given first aid by doctors, negative consequences may follow. That is why it is important for everyone to know how to recognize a stroke. This will allow you to provide the necessary assistance in time and save a life,” says Dmitry Khan, chief freelance specialist in acute cerebrovascular accidents of the Primorye Health Department. – Note that there are 4.5 hours to help such a patient. It is during this short period that assistance is important – only in this case can further disability be avoided.
Anna BYSTROVA
