How to check for stroke or alcohol intoxication

During Tet, drinking too much beer and alcohol leads to health problems including stroke, which is not easy to distinguish from normal drunkenness symptoms.

According to Dr. Tran Chi Cuong - Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Neurointerventional Association, drinking alcohol is a factor that causes stroke. During Tet, the weather changes from warm to cold, increasing this risk. Previously, strokes often occurred in people over 60 years old, but now they can appear in young people around 30 years old.

Drinking too much alcohol can cause problems such as blood sugar, body temperature and blood pressure disorders. In more serious cases, patients can fall into a coma or even have a stroke. Doctors have recorded cases of stroke after drinking alcohol, but patients and their families think it is due to drunkenness.

Stroke after drinking alcohol is easily mistaken for drunkenness. Image of patient being treated at Bach Mai Hospital. Photo: BSCC

Therefore, we need to be careful when using alcohol, especially during the holidays. A person who drinks a lot of alcohol sometimes has difficulty distinguishing between drunkenness and stroke. You can try the following ways:

1. Ask the patient to talk to check if they have slurred speech or difficulty speaking?

2. Observe whether the patient's mouth is crooked on one side? Is the philtrum crooked?

3. Ask the patient to raise their arms and legs to check for weakness on one side?

If the patient has signs of severe headache, vomiting, weakness in one arm or leg, it could be a sign of a stroke and should be taken to the hospital immediately.

If the patient shows symptoms of drowsiness, lethargy, or coma, shake them and pinch areas of soft skin such as the thighs, calf creases, etc. If the patient does not respond to painful stimuli, it may be due to a stroke or alcohol poisoning. At this point, you need to take them to a medical facility for timely examination and treatment.

To prevent health incidents during Tet, Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Thi Thu Hoai, Director of the National Heart Institute, Bach Mai Hospital ( Hanoi ) said that people with chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary artery disease need to take medication on time, not arbitrarily stop or change the dosage, even when busy.

Avoid foods high in saturated fat (fatty meat, fried foods), sugar (candy), salt (pickles, fish sauce). Do not drink too much alcohol because it can cause high blood pressure and heart rhythm disturbances.

People with heart disease should avoid strong emotional states such as being too happy, too sad...

When the body shows signs of fatigue, leg swelling, and increased shortness of breath, you should see a doctor immediately. Patients should schedule a follow-up appointment before or right after Tet to ensure that treatment is not interrupted.

Keep your mind relaxed, avoid anxiety and excessive stress because it can increase blood pressure or cause symptoms to recur. Dress warmly when it is cold, avoid sudden changes in body temperature.

Dr. Hoai further recommends that in cases with signs of severe chest pain, severe shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, arrhythmia, or feeling faint, swollen legs, abnormally large abdomen, blood pressure that is too high or too low, or symptoms that do not improve when taking medication, you should quickly go to a medical facility.

Before drinking alcohol, everyone should eat lightly to avoid blood sugar disorders. Remember to drink more water to help the body eliminate alcohol quickly.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/cach-kiem-tra-dot-quy-hay-say-ruou-bia-172250128225156832.htm