“Forewarned - armed” or what you need to know about a stroke, even if you are young

A sad and shocking turn of events: social media star and model Katie died two weeks ago after a stroke. The New York Daily News reported that it might have had a “neck injury” when it fell during a photo shoot in late January, and that Katie tweeted that she had a “pinched nerve” before being hospitalized . But it turns out that such pain can be caused by a much more serious cause than pinching a nerve. But if a woman is so young (34 years old), who could compare neck pain with a stroke?



“When you are young and relatively healthy, you don’t think about a stroke, completely eliminating this possibility,” says David Liebeskind, MD University of California Medical Center. "But, the reality is that a stroke can develop at any age."

According to doctors, the model suffered from dissection of the carotid artery. This begins as a rupture in the artery wall, which can be caused by trauma and leads to a blood clot that blocks blood flow to the brain.

Although this type of stroke is rare, strokes are generally on the rise in younger people, probably due to factors such as hypertension. Between 1995 and 2008, the hospitalization rate due to stroke in patients aged 15 to 44 years jumped by 37% (!). What is most disappointing, experts found that 73% of people under the age of 45 use the “wait and see” principle when they experience stroke symptoms rather than rushing to the hospital.

“But, this is a catastrophic decision,” says Dr. Liebeskind, “because the first 3 hours after the onset of symptoms is a critical window for treatment.”

So what are the early symptoms? The two main ones are a sudden attack of dizziness or a severe headache. David Newman-Tokero, MD, assistant professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University, said these were the most common symptoms in women under the age of 45, sometimes accompanied by hiccups or nausea.

Dr. Liebeskind adds a few more symptoms:
* temporary loss of speech,
* changes in vision,
* inability to perform any normal actions,
* other unusual sensations,
* association of symptoms with neck pain or a recent fall.

“If you have a combination of symptoms, it’s more likely that it’s a stroke,” he said. “Dial 911. And if your doctor tries to diagnose you with something else (otitis media or migraine) do not give up. Migraine will not kill you, but a stroke can, ”notes Dr. Liebeskind.

Dr. Newman-Tokero also advises asking the doctor this question: “Why do you think this is not a stroke? If he cannot answer in a way that sounds intelligible, contact another doctor. ”

The first 3 hours after a person experiences the symptoms of a stroke is often called the “golden window”. This period of time is critical for patients to restore blood flow to the brain and minimize or reverse brain damage.

“The timely treatment of stroke is probably more important than almost any other medical problem,” said David Liebeskind, MD, professor of neurology, director of stroke treatment programs at Ronald Reagan Medical Center. “There is a very limited window in which, treatment can be started because the brain is very sensitive to a lack of blood flow, and the longer the patient waits, the more devastating consequences. "

Strokes occur at a fairly young age. " This is a real problem, "Liebeskind said." We should give young people people with information about the symptoms of a stroke and convince them of the urgency of the situation, because the statistics of strokes goes up. ”Strokes in the US occur approximately every 40 seconds, bringing the total number of cases to 800,000 new patients per year.

In 2007, Jennifer Reilly was one of them. “I woke up in the middle of the night with a painful headache,” Reilly said. “I was 27 years old, I was very active, quite healthy and was not prone to headaches. I thought it was a really strange thing. "

Arriving at work that day, Reilly told her colleague about her story, who insisted that Reilly go to the hospital. Reilly eventually ended up at the medical center, where they determined that she had a stroke. “I was very skeptical,” Reilly said. “I did not have what I thought were the classic symptoms of a stroke. I was only 27. ”

Reilly says that a week before the headache, she also experienced periodic numbness in one of her hands. “Half of my left hand went numb for just one second,” she said.

Most patients (about 85%) suffer from the so-called ischemic stroke, in which the arteries in the brain are blocked, blocking the access of oxygen to the brain. Ischemic stroke can happen to anyone at any age, and is often associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and obesity.

The faster a blood clot causing a stroke is removed, the lower the patient’s disability is the study reported by the American Stroke Association at the 2016 International Stroke Conference.

In the current analysis, researchers tested 83 patients who had had a blood clot removed. They found that:

* In patients for whom blood flow was restored within 2.5 hours after the onset of a stroke, 87% achieved functional independence (minimal disability or its complete absence).

* those whose blood flow was restored between 2.5 and 3.5 hours after the onset of a stroke had 10% less chance of achieving functional independence;

* every 60 minutes of delay after 3.5 hours corresponded to a 15% decrease in functional independence.

Sleeping more than eight hours a day significantly increases your chances of a stroke - these are the findings of the study.

A study of nearly 290,000 people found that 7 to 8 hours of sleep per day could reduce the likelihood of a stroke. But American researchers from New York University have shown that those who sleep longer increase their risk of stroke by 146%. Sleeping less than 7 hours increases the risk by 22%. Scientists who presented their findings at a meeting of the American Stroke Association in Los Angeles 02/17/2016

They took into account many factors of health, lifestyle, age and ethnicity of 288,888 adults who participated in the survey from 2004 to 2013. Researchers also analyzed how long these people slept and how much they practiced in walking, swimming, cycling or gardening. Sleeping 7-8 hours a day and exercises from 30 to 60 minutes 3-6 times a week gave the maximum benefit for the prevention of stroke.

Strokes occur either as a result of a brain hemorrhage or when a blood clot cuts off the flow of blood to a part of the brain. About 110,000 people suffer a stroke in England every year. This is the third most common cause of death after heart disease and cancer. They are the main cause of adult disability.

Scientists have also found that people who have 6 to 8 hours of sleep live longer and have better health, while those who get less than 6 hours of sleep are at greater risk of dying prematurely.

Researchers do not know exactly why sleeping too much is problematic. One theory is that a longer sleep indicates a worse quality of sleep. All whose biological clocks are regularly disturbed (for example, nursing mothers and shift workers) are vulnerable.

The American Stroke Association writes that this year, more than 100,000 US women will get a stroke.

A stroke is not a geriatric disease. It is not limited to the elderly, overweight people, smokers or people with high cholesterol. “All of these are common risk factors,” says Stephen J. Kittner, MD, director of the Maryland Stroke Center at the University of Maryland at Baltimore. “But a stroke can hit anyone at any age. There are other risk factors for stroke that are especially important for women under 55. ”These include:

* Migraine
Recent studies show that women who suffer from migraines with aura (visual disturbances such as blinking dots or white spots) may have up to 10 times more likely to suffer from a stroke, regardless of other risk factors.

* Birth control pills
Women taking birth control pills (even those with low estrogen levels) may have a double the likelihood of a stroke than those who don’t. And this risk may increase if other risk factors are present.

* Preeclampsia / Eclampsia
Women with a history of preeclampsia / eclampsia have an increased risk of future hypertension and stroke after childbirth.

* Arterial hypertension
Women with chronic primary or secondary hypertension, or a previous pregnancy associated with arterial hypertension, have an increased risk of stroke.

* Hormone replacement therapy
Women taking hormone replacement therapy may have an increased risk of stroke.

* Autoimmune diseases (diabetes, lupus) may increase the risk of stroke.

* Blood clotting disorders
Women who have more than one miscarriage have a higher risk of blood clots, which may increase the likelihood of a stroke. Other signs of possible coagulation may include a previous history of deep vein thrombosis or purple discoloration of the skin.

Dr. Kittner adds: “Risk factors are cumulative. Reducing even one risk can significantly reduce your chances of a stroke. "

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