Harmful habits that cause strokes in young people

Doctor of Neurology - Stroke, Provincial General Hospital examines patient.

Because he was almost never sick, Mr. Nguyen Van T. (born in 1985) in Bac Son ward was always subjective and did not go for regular health check-ups. Mr. T. often went out drinking and smoking with his friends. One time while chatting with family members, he had symptoms such as difficulty speaking and weakness in his left arm and leg, so his family immediately took him to the Department of Neurology - Stroke, Thanh Hoa General Hospital for examination and treatment. The doctor ordered Mr. T. to do tests, and was later diagnosed with a cerebral infarction due to a blockage in the cerebral artery. The patient underwent intravenous thrombolysis, and after taking the medication, his mobility improved. After more than 2 weeks of treatment, the patient was discharged from the hospital and continued rehabilitation at Thanh Hoa Rehabilitation Hospital. After 3 months of rehabilitation and his own efforts, Mr. T. was able to speak coherently and walk with the help of crutches.

The case of Vu Thi Ch. (born in 1990) in Tay Do commune who had a stroke also stemmed from a subjective mentality about her health because she did not think that a stroke would happen at this age. Due to the nature of her job, Ch. ate and lived irregularly. Recently, she had occasional headaches and did not pay much attention. However, because the headache gradually increased, Ch. proactively bought medicine at the pharmacy to take, but 2 days later the illness did not subside, along with the headache, she also felt dizzy and nauseous. When discovering abnormal signs in Ch. with difficulty speaking and paralysis of the left side of her body, her family took her to the Provincial General Hospital for examination. After X-rays and tests, the doctor diagnosed Ch. with intracranial hemorrhage in the hemisphere. After 3 weeks of treatment, Ch.'s consciousness improved, but she still could not walk normally. Ch. is taking medication as prescribed and being treated at Thanh Hoa Rehabilitation Hospital.

These are two of many young stroke patients being treated at Thanh Hoa General Hospital. Under the pressure of life, work, and study, many young people are subjective about their health and maintain unhealthy habits such as smoking, alcohol abuse, unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, and inadequate rest. These habits put many young people at risk of cardiovascular disease, blood pressure, diabetes, and blood problems, increasing the risk of stroke.

According to statistics from the Department of Neurology - Stroke, Provincial General Hospital, if in 2023 the number of stroke patients was 2,639, then by 2024 it will increase to 3,231 people. Notably, stroke in young people (under 50 years old) accounts for 15 - 18% and has been increasing recently. To prevent stroke in young people, Master, Doctor Doan Thi Bich, Head of the Department of Neurology - Stroke recommends: "Young people need to control high blood pressure, diabetes, and lipid disorders well; test and monitor if there is a family history of cardiovascular disease, early stroke; screen for stroke risk based on early assessment of underlying diseases. In particular, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is extremely important".

According to Dr. Doan Thi Bich, maintaining a healthy lifestyle means limiting or not smoking; avoiding exposure to secondhand smoke; maintaining regular exercise for 30 minutes/day, at least 5 days/week. Eating healthily by limiting the use of fast food, processed foods; limiting alcohol; not using drugs, cocaine, amphetamines. At the same time, be careful when taking medication and monitor for warning symptoms such as transient ischemic attacks and signs such as difficulty speaking, weak limbs, crooked mouth, sudden loss of balance, relatives need to take the patient to the emergency room immediately...

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle combined with adherence to treatment and regular health check-ups are extremely important factors, helping young people detect potential health problems early and have timely interventions.

Article and photos: Trung Hieu

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/thoi-quen-tai-hai-khien-nguoi-tre-dot-quy-255135.htm