Monday 23 January 2017

Stroke in Young Adults



Our modern life style has put our young adults more at risk in health issues than their elders.
Stroke in young adults is one of the health issues about which we need to create awareness among the general public. This will alert both the young adults as well as their parents/guardians to take preventive measures. Stroke is a public health issue that causes long-term disabilities with emotional and socio economic consequences.

First of all, what stroke is all about?

Stroke is associated with a new onset of rapidly developing symptoms and signs of loss of cerebral function lasting more than 24 hours with no apparent cause other than that of vascular origin. Stroke is of two kinds, one hemorrhagic and second ischemic.In one type, rupturing of blood vessels of the skull occurs. In the other type, bleeding occurs at the spot between the arachnoid membrane and pia mater around the brain. These two are the major causes of stroke in young adults.

Major causes of stroke in young adults and children are different from that of older people.

Strokes develop within 24 hours of onset of symptoms, all occurring within 10 days. Therefore, early suspicion and diagnosis is necessary to prevent stroke. Migraine is an underlying factor for stroke and it also is an acute precipitant of stroke (migrainous stroke). Ischemic stroke risk is higher in females having migraine and using oral contraceptives which are a known independent risk factor for ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. People aged over 35 with a history of hypertension with smoking habits are prone to get stroke attacks. 

F.A.S.T.

Regardless of age, symptoms for stroke are indicated in the acronym F.A.S.T.  “F” for drooping face on the one side, “A” for arms that cannot be raised, “S” for slurred speech, and “T” for time indicating timely action. The acronym FAST is to help detect stroke symptoms and immediate hospitalization.


General symptoms which are not exhaustive
·       Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arms, or legs particularly on one side of the body.
·       Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding difficulty.
·       Sudden vision difficulties in one or both the eyes.
·       Sudden severe headache.

General risk factors,also called as modifiable risk factors in young adults

·       Smoking
·       Alcoholism
·       Diabetes
·       Hypertension
·       Dyslipidemia
·       Past history of stroke
·       Rheumatic heart disease with atrial fibrillation
·       Oral contraceptive pills in women
 Uncommon causes of stroke in young adults.

·       Nonatheroscleroticangiopathies
·       Cervicocephalic  arterial dissection
·       Cerebral amyloid angiopathy
·       Moyamoya disease
·       Fibromusculardysplacia
·       Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome
·       Susac’s syndrome
·       Sneddon’s syndrome
·       Migraine-induced stroke

Hematologic conditions
·       Hypercoagulable state due to deficiencies of protein S, protein C or antithrombin;
·       Factor V Leiden mutation etc
Genetic
·       Fabry disease
·       CADASIL  (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy)
·       MELAS
·       Marfan syndrome
·       Neurofibromatosis
·       Sturge-Weber disease

Inflammatory and infectious

·       Vasculitis
·       Temporal arteritis
·       Takayasu disease
·       Bechet’s syndrome
·       Neurosarcoidosis
·       Neurocysticerosis
·       HIV
·       Varicella zoster virus
·       Neurosyphilis
·       Tuberculous meningitis

 Indian scenario
According to a study, about 5.8 million people had been affected by stroke as far back as in 2005. Stroke has emerged as the second most common cause of death. Globally 7.8 million deaths have been estimated to occur due to stroke by 2030.  By 2050, India will be one of the regions where 80 % of stroke events will occur.

Prevention of Stroke
Quit smoking and have regular physical exercise for 20 minutes a day at least three to four days in a week.  Ensure against high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels.  Primary stroke prevention in young adults includes aggressive treatment of hypertension, smoking, and dyslipidemia. Secondary stroke prevention involves stroke etiology and treatment of additional risk factors. Secondary stroke prevention aims at prevention and reducing risk of a second stroke after identification etiology of initial stroke as part of stroke rehabilitation.

Although stroke in young adults occurs only in 10-15 % of all stroke patients, this section of the population suffers severe economic consequences as young adults are disabled well before their most productive years. Apart from aggressive treatment and control of risk factors, life style changes can prevent up to 50 % of strokes.


Wednesday 21 December 2016

Why is Preventive Health Check-Up Important?

Medical innovations and technological advancements have increased the lifespan of people. But has it improved the quality of health? Many people suffer from chronic health conditions that make their lives extremely painful and miserable. The symptoms of these diseases prevent them from living a normal life and overwhelm their willpower. But these can be avoided with the help of preventive healthcare.

Preventive healthcare practices help you to maintain good health throughout your life. Studies note that a significant number of individuals in the age group of 40-65 years are affected by lifestyle illnesses. International medical bodies recommend that women above 40 years and men above 35 years need to undergo an annual health check up

What are the tests conducted during an Annual Health Check-up?

The tests depend largely on your medical history and family history. However, a full medical checkup is done commonly for everyone, and that includes some tests such as –


History Analysis:

The physician discusses with you about your previous medical conditions including ailments, medical procedures undergone and medications taken. In the case of the presence of any particular diseases in the family such as chronic heart diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, etc., the doctor will suggest few screening tests.

Examination of vital signs:

Your vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rate and temperature are checked by the doctor. A checkup is done to look for irregularities in heartbeat and status of lungs.

A full body exam


A physical examination is done to the neck, head, mouth, teeth and gums. The ears, eyes and nose, are also checked. An examination of the lymph nodes and thyroid are also done. The abdominal exam reveals the health status of liver, digestive system and bowels. Other areas include joints, arms and legs.

Blood Test:


Blood test for heart disease, diabetes, cholesterol, cancer, and anemia are common during an annual health checkup. A blood test can also give details about the functioning of other vital organs such as the liver, kidney and thyroid. 

HEALTH BENEFITS OF PREVENTIVE HEALTH CHECK UPS

  •  A preventive health check up helps in preventing and in some cases in the early detection of chronic ailments.
  • Certain illnesses start showing noticeable symptoms only in the extreme stages, but a periodic checkup will help in diagnosing them in the early stage.
  • Helps to spot the signs and symptoms of life-threatening ailments such as cancer, HIV, etc.
  • Promotes better and effective disease management through medication and counselling
  •  Assist and encourages to follow a healthy lifestyle

In short, a preventive health checkup goes a long way in helping you to lead a happy and healthy life throughout a lifetime. Undergoing an annual medical checkup will help you save time and money that you would otherwise have to invest in treating other illness. With stress and tension lurking in every corner of our lives, maintaining a good health will help you to lead a more satisfying life.

  


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