According to statistics from the Ministry of Public Health, more than 13,000 Thais die from stroke each year, averaging as many as 37 people per day, with a continuously increasing trend every year. Stroke, or paralysis disease, is a condition where the brain lacks blood supply, causing symptoms such as numbness in the face, crooked mouth, slurred speech, weakness or inability to move one side of the arm or leg suddenly, lasting minutes or hours. This disease is divided into two types based on the cause: ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. Monitoring and recognizing the symptoms of the disease is crucial because once symptoms appear, even at the beginning, the patient must be taken to see a doctor for treatment as soon as possible. The earlier the treatment, the lower the chance of death or disability. However, if treatment is delayed, the brain will be severely damaged to the point where it cannot control the functions of various organs. Patients who do not die may become bedridden, requiring lifelong care from family members.
Causes of Stroke
Many people wonder how stroke occurs and what factors cause the disease. Dr. Wasuwat Sukkhee, a brain and spinal cord specialist at Phyathai Nawamin Hospital, explains that this disease results from multiple factors combined. The more factors present, the higher the risk of developing the disease.
1. Age and physical degeneration factors: For example, in the elderly, blood vessels often have fat or calcium deposits, narrowing the blood vessel pathways and making blood flow less smooth. Conditions where blood clots faster than normal can cause blood clots or platelet aggregation more easily than in normal people. Patients with arrhythmia may have blood clots remaining in the heart that can break off and block blood vessels in the brain.
2. Health factors from high blood fat, high blood pressure, and diabetes: People with fat accumulation on the blood vessel walls often experience poor blood circulation. Diabetes increases the risk of hardened blood vessels throughout the body, making the chance of vessel narrowing 2-3 times higher than normal. Those with high blood pressure must also be cautious as they have a higher risk of ischemic stroke than normal people.
3. Behavioral factors: For example, smoking can cause blood vessels to harden and increase the risk of stroke by up to 3.5%. Women who regularly take contraceptive pills have higher estrogen levels, which increases the risk of ischemic stroke.
5 Warning Signs of Stroke
Dr. Wasuwat Sukkhee said, “If you find a patient with any of these symptoms, immediately take the patient to the hospital or see a doctor because these are the 5 warning signs of stroke” that require urgent treatment, including:
1. Dizziness, vertigo, staggering as if drunk
2. Sudden weakness or numbness in one arm or leg, or weakness in both the arm and leg on the same side
3. Double vision, blurred vision, blindness in one eye, or seeing only half of the visual field
4. Crooked mouth, drooping corner of the mouth, noticeable when asking the patient to show teeth or smile, drooling, difficulty swallowing, abnormal speech such as inability to speak, slurred speech, incoherent speech, inability to answer normally known questions, or sudden inability to understand language
5. Severe headache unlike any before, possibly accompanied by vomiting or sudden loss of consciousness
How to Prevent Stroke
It can be seen that if this disease occurs, immediate hospital treatment is necessary. To prevent and reduce the risk of stroke, Dr. Wasuwat Sukkhee recommends the following:
1. Regular annual health check-ups, especially for the elderly
2. Light exercise for at least 30 minutes daily
3. Reduce sugar intake because high blood sugar thickens and narrows blood vessel walls, causing poor blood circulation and insufficient blood supply to the brain. Diabetics should maintain normal blood sugar levels at all times.
4. Choose foods high in fiber and low in fat, especially for those with high blood fat. Fat deposits stick to blood vessel walls, thickening and hardening them, narrowing the vessels and reducing blood flow to the brain.
5. Avoid salty foods and refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages
6. Do not smoke or stay in places with cigarette smoke because smoke damages organs such as the lungs, heart, and blood vessels
Living cautiously and regularly taking care of your health is like reducing the risk of almost every disease. However, if you notice any warning signs of stroke as mentioned, immediately take the patient to the nearest hospital for diagnosis and treatment within 3 hours from symptom onset to increase the chance of full recovery.
