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A stroke is characterised by an abrupt change in any one of the body parts' functions, such as a sudden weakness in one side of the body (such as the hands or legs), an inability to talk clearly (slurring of speech), speech difficulties, difficulties in walking, or sudden weakness in one side of the body. Irregular blood flow to the brain is the primary cause of stroke. A stroke is mainly triggered by a blood vessel rupture known as a haemorrhage, which prevents blood flow to a specific brain area or by a clot that prevents blood from reaching the brain.
A stroke usually leads to paralysis, which is commonly associated with old age, especially for those who belong to the age group of 60–70. But nowadays, a downward shift in the age group is visible in such cases. Presently, youngsters who are in their early 20s are experiencing strokes as well due to lifestyle changes. In previous decades, the deformity of the heart's valve or hole in the heart was the primary cause of strokes, as people who had these issues were more prone to developing blood clots, which travel to the brain and cause strokes.
Risk Factors of Stroke
The irreversible reason for stroke is age. As someone ages, the tendency to get a stroke increases, and this type is known as atherosclerosis. With age, blood pressure also increases, which leads to blood clot formation. Apart from that, there are other risk factors such as uncontrolled diabetes, uncontrolled blood pressure, and uncontrolled hypertension, which are significant risk factors for clot formation. These mainly accelerate the process of atherosclerosis. Other than that, there is another risk factor, which is cholesterol. The increase in bad cholesterol leads to clot formation as well. Also, there are some familiar genetic risk factors where the blood tends to clot by itself. Hence, people with genetic risk factors are prone to suffering from strokes, and this type of stroke is mainly seen in younger age groups. In the last 2 to 3 years, especially after COVID-19, a lot of incidences of stroke have been reported. The number of victims has increased since the second wave of COVID, even if the primary cause of that is still unknown. However, it has been seen that there are more young people experiencing strokes than usual compared to previous years.
There are some lifestyle choices, like smoking, that are thought to be the highest risk factors for heart disease or stroke. It is regarded as the most prevalent and harmful addiction a patient can have. In addition, living an irregular lifestyle, not following an exercise schedule, following a poor diet (eating too much junk food or fried food), and gaining weight all raise the chance of developing heart disease or stroke. Along with that, today's population is at greater risk for stroke due to a decrease in the consumption of traditional healthy foods like green vegetables, sprouts, and fruits and a greater reliance on packaged foods.
Preventive Measures
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, being active, and avoiding bad habits like smoking and alcohol consumption are considered key preventive measures for youngsters to get rid of the risk of stroke. Along with that, younger people are advised to walk at least 10,000 steps every day to be healthy and reduce their risk of stroke. To ensure that the parameters or variables like blood pressure, cholesterol level, etc. are under control, experts usually recommend that everyone over the age of 30 maintain a habit of scheduling routine check-ups. This will allow for faster treatment and the prevention of complications associated with heart difficulties, strokes, and other disorders.
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