According to the World Health Organization, stroke is the leading cause of death and disability in Vietnam with more than 200,000 people annually. This is also a common cause of permanent disability and leaves a huge burden on the patient and his or her family. Therefore, understanding the disease for screening and prevention is extremely important. We invite everyone to join Atlantic Medical to learn more about this issue in the article below!

What is a stroke?

A stroke is a life-threatening condition that occurs when part of the brain does not receive enough blood flow, leading to brain cells in that area being deprived of oxygen and gradually dying. 

Anyone can experience this condition, from children to adults and the elderly. However, stroke is often common in people of older ages, the average age of Vietnamese people today is about 65 years old.

Causes of stroke

There are 2 main causes of stroke: vessel blockage (ischemic stroke) and vessel rupture (hemorrhagic stroke). Additionally, some people may have only a temporary interruption of blood flow to the brain (transient ischemic attack) that does not cause lasting symptoms.

Ischemic stroke

This is the most common type, occurring when the brain's blood vessels become narrowed or blocked, severely reducing blood flow. This condition is caused by fatty deposits in the blood vessels or by blood clots that travel from the heart and lodge in the blood vessels of the brain.

Hemorrhagic stroke

Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when one or more blood vessels in the brain leak or burst. Factors associated with hemorrhagic stroke include:

• Uncontrolled high blood pressure
• Aneurysm
• Abuse of anticoagulants
• Severe injury
• Cerebrovascular disease
• Ischemic stroke leads to hemorrhage

Transient ischemic attack

A transient ischemic attack (also called a mini-stroke) is a temporary episode of symptoms similar to those of a stroke and does not cause permanent damage. Like an embolism, a transient ischemic attack occurs when a blood clot temporarily reduces or blocks blood flow to part of the nervous system. Transient ischemic attack also increases the risk of later full-blown stroke.

Signs of a stroke

Stroke is an emergency, every second is valuable for the patient. Therefore, early detection of stroke patients is essential.

Warning signs and symptoms of stroke:

• Loss of balance, difficulty walking or tripping
• Sudden, severe headache and dizziness, possibly accompanied by vomiting
• Blurred, black, or double vision in one or both eyes
• Difficulty speaking, slurred speech, difficulty choosing words and understanding other people's words
• Sudden muscle weakness or paralysis of the face, arms or legs and usually affects only one side of the body

First aid for stroke

The sooner a stroke patient receives emergency treatment, the more likely it will be to reduce the rate of serious brain damage. This requires the intervention of highly specialized doctors. However, while waiting for emergency help to arrive, proper first aid for stroke on the spot is extremely important.

When detecting a stroke patient, quickly provide first aid by:

• Call emergency number 115
• Let the patient lie still, raise the head 30 degrees, and loosen the clothes
• Open the collar to check the patient's breathing. In case the patient has cardiac arrest, external cardiac massage should be performed
• Use a towel to wrap around the index finger and remove phlegm and drool from the patient's mouth
• In case the patient vomits, keep the patient's head and back at a 45-degree angle to the body to prevent choking.
• In case the patient has a seizure, use chopsticks or similar objects wrapped in cloth to block the mouth to prevent the patient from biting their tongue.
• Record the time the patient's stroke began and what medications the patient is using or carrying, if any

When performing first aid for stroke at home, absolutely do not let the patient use medicine or eat or drink anything, do not shave, and do not use a needle to prick the patient's 10 fingers or toes.

Preventing strokes

Understanding the causes as well as risk factors combined with building a healthy lifestyle and using appropriate medications are the best steps for screening and prevention. In general, recommendations for prevention include:

Build a healthy lifestyle

• Reduce cholesterol and saturated fat in your diet: Consuming less cholesterol and fat, especially saturated fat and trans fat, can reduce buildup in blood vessels and reduce the likelihood of blockages. embolism. If you cannot control your cholesterol by changing your diet, doctors may prescribe some cholesterol-lowering medications for you.
• Eat lots of vegetables and fruits: A daily menu rich in vegetables and fruits or olive oil, nuts or whole grains has a great effect in reducing the risk.
• Limit alcoholic beverages: Drinking too much alcohol increases the risk of high blood pressure, blood clots and broken blood vessels. However, drinking small amounts of alcohol, about 1 drink a day, can help prevent blood clots and reduce the tendency to clot. 
• Quit smoking: Cigarette smoke increases the risk for the smoker and those who breathe in the smoke. Therefore, stop smoking now to reduce the risk of stroke for yourself and the community.
• Exercise regularly: Spending about 30 minutes a day walking, jogging, swimming or cycling is the best way to lose weight, lower blood pressure, control diabetes, increase good cholesterol and improve cholesterol. cardiovascular health, helping to reduce risks in many aspects.
• Good control of weight, hypertension and diabetes: Being overweight, obese or having high blood pressure or diabetes is a risk factor that greatly affects stroke. You should listen to advice from doctors or specialists to have a suitable treatment and prevention therapy.

Stroke prevention medicine

If you are often tired, stressed, have symptoms of memory loss, high blood pressure, high blood fat, or have had this condition due to ischemia or transient ischemic attack, Doctors may recommend some of the following medications to reduce your risk:

• Antiplatelet drugs: The most commonly used antiplatelet drug is aspirin. The right dose of aspirin makes blood cells less sticky and less likely to form clots.
• Anticoagulants: Typically nattokinase – an enzyme extracted from fermented soybeans, has a special effect in resolving blood clots, preventing and supporting the treatment of hypertension, reducing blood fat and atherosclerosis, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. have a stroke.

If you have any questions, please pick up the phone and contact us immediately via Hotline 0936.236.283 or leave a question. herey to get answers and advice from Atlantic Medical's pharmacists.

Wishing you and your family good health and quality life!