Strokes: Know who is at risk and how to identify the symptoms of stroke

 Website content extracted from: Strokes Symptoms: Know who is at risk and how to identify the symptoms of stroke (indiatimes.com)

TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Last updated on -Mar 24, 2022, 18:20 IST

01/5Here are some common signs of stroke you must know about

A stroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment in order to save the life. Prompt action can lessen the brain damage which is caused due to the interruption of blood supply. For that, one needs to know the signs and symptoms of the condition. Although the manifestations are evident, sometimes it overlaps with other ailments making it complex to differentiate, particularly in the younger generation. It may seem surprising how someone young can experience a stroke, but data suggest that 15 per cent of all stroke cases occur in people between the ages of 18 and 55.

Recently, model Hailey Bieber was rushed to a hospital for stroke-like symptoms. It turned out to be a small clot in the brain, and she recovered within a few hours. A situation like this can happen with anyone, therefore one needs to be prepared to tackle it.

02/5​What is a stroke?

A stroke is a condition when the blood and oxygen supply to the brain’s tissues is blocked due to ruptures, bleeding or clotting in the blood vessels. With oxygen, the brain cells start dying. Stroke is of two main types: Ischemic and Hemorrhagic.

Ischemic is the most common one and accounts for 87 per cent of all the cases. It is caused by blood clotting in the arteries or narrowing of arteries due to atherosclerosis.

On the other hand, hemorrhagic stroke is caused when an artery in the brain leaks blood or ruptures. The blood seeping from the artery creates pressure in the skull and swells the brain, leading to cell damage. This kind of stroke accounts for the remaining 13 per cent of the cases and is less common than ischemic stroke. Here are some common signs of stroke one must know about.

03/5​How to identify the signs of a stroke

Identifying the symptoms of a stroke can help you get proper medical attention at the right time, which is required to save a life. That's why experts urge people to remember the phrase: B.E. F.A.S.T. to spot the signs of stroke. Each letter of the phrase can help to identify the signs of a stroke successfully.

B- Balance (Balancing issues or weak legs)

E- Eyes (Trouble seeing things clearly or trouble focusing)

F- Face (Drooping or face numbness)

A-Arms (Difficulty raising the arms or arm weakness)

S- Speak (Having difficulty in speaking)

T- Time (Call for emergency immediately if you notice these symptoms)

Apart from these tell-tale signs, some other signs of a stroke include:

Confusion or trouble understanding other people

Severe headache without any reason

Dizziness

04/5​Who are at the greater risk of suffering from a stroke

Although stroke is generally associated with older adults, the younger generation is equally at the risk of suffering from the condition. The risk is higher among those suffering from any chronic diseases like:

high blood pressure

high cholesterol

Obesity

heart disorders

heart valve defects

sickle cell disease

diabetes

blood clotting disorder

patent foramen ovale (PFO)

a history of stroke

05/5​Other factors that may increase the chances of stroke

Apart from underlying health conditions, other factors that increase the risk of stroke include:

Physical inactivity

Excess alcohol intake

Smoking

Diet rich in salt and unhealthy fat

A family history of stroke

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3 Simple Diet Tips To Live Healthy After You've Had a Stroke

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In Singapore, deaths from stroke are increasing every year, and those affected by stroke are getting younger (1 in 4 patients hospitalised for stroke in 2017 were aged under 60 years). Did you know that there are 26 new stroke cases in Singapore every day? If you are not eating and drinking well after your stroke, you are more likely to be readmitted to the hospital for complications and you may take longer to recover than before. Therefore, it's important to eat well after a stroke. Positive changes from the diet will help you to regain your strength and energy faster in the recovery process, which will last through your rehabilitative treatments.

Post Stroke Goals

Prevent the recurrence of another stroke.

• A balanced diet, with adequate protein, calories and good hydration
• Maintain healthy readings for your Blood Sugar, Cholesterol and Blood Fats
• Get back to being as independent as possible

Tip 1 - All About the Carbs

Fun fact! People with diabetes are more likely to get a stroke than those without. Therefore, choosing the right type of carbohydrates matters! Here are some tips:

• Have wholemeal bread, brown rice, whole grain noodles, pasta and oatmeal.
• Eat less refined grains such as white rice, pastry and sweetened breakfast cereals.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables such as spinach, kangkong, chye sim, nai bai, capsicum, eggplant, bitter gourd, broccoli and cauliflower
• Drink less sugary drinks like bubble milk tea, milkshake, flavoured coffee drinks, energy drinks.
• Limit canned fruit with syrup, dried fruit coated with sugar/honey/juice concentrates, fruit juice, preserved fruits.

Tip 2 - Not All Fats Are The Same

High saturated and trans fat foods can increase one’s risk of stroke when our cholesterol level gets too high. Limit:

• Fatty meats (pork/mutton/beef)
• Skin and fat on chicken/duck
• Canned or processed meats (sausage/salami/luncheon meat)
• Deep fried foods
• Full cream milk and dairy products
• Coconut milk/oil and coconut products
• Foods containing butter, palm oil, ghee or lard
• Potato chips, cookies and cakes
• Margarine and shortenings
• Shellfish
• Organ meat

Tip 3 - This Tastes Salty

Limit foods with added salt, as excess sodium in the body ( found in salt and salty foods) elevates blood pressure and may put you at risk of another stroke.

• Foods such as soups and gravies prepared outside, canned foods, preserved and processed foods such as hot dogs, luncheon meat, stock cubes, seasonings and sauces are high in sodium and should be reduced.
• When cooking at home, use natural spices and seasonings such as lemon juice, pepper, shallots, onions, garlic and parsley instead of using table salt.
• Avoid pickles, sambal belachan or chutneys with your meals.
• Minimize the number of times you eat out as most food sold outside is high in salt.
• When buying groceries, choose foods with ‘Healthier Choice’ symbol or those labeled ‘Low in Sodium’ or ‘No Added Salt’.

How Does Stroke Affect My Diet?

Dehydration

It’s important to keep taking fluids regularly because most stroke patients do not feel thirsty easily.

• Drink at least 8 to 10 cups of fluids daily. These can include water, milk, juices, soups and other drinks.
• Have hydrating jellies as a form of fluid, as these tend to be better tolerated.
• Maintain good mouth care by keeping your mouth and lips moist.
• Due to limited movement, it is common for stroke survivors to suffer from constipation. Ensure you eat plenty of hydrating snacks, fluids and consider a natural fibre supplement if you are having irregular bowel movements.
• Reduce your intake of alcohol. Alcohol can cause further dehydration.

Fatigue

Many people experience fatigue after a stroke due to the immense physical and mental changes they go through. It’s important to speak with your doctor to identify if you are experiencing fatigue and how you can manage it.

• Give yourself plenty of time to complete your tasks. Do not rush.
• Do gentle exercises and social activities with small, frequent breaks in between.
• Have a proper meal time and day routine.

Chewing and Swallowing Problems

Swallowing problems can occur due to the weakening of the tongue or loss of coordination from your tongue movements. You can cope by following these recommendations:

• Eat soft and moist foods that are easy to swallow, such as bread dipped in milk/milo, scrambled eggs, minced meat, steamed fish, yoghurt and ice cream.
• Cold foods and drinks are helpful to soothe painful ulcers.
• Serve food of the same texture. For example, when eating rice/noodles with runny soup, the soup tends to slip down the throat much faster (may cause choking). Try thickening the soup so that it's less runny and coats the rice/noodles properly.
• Have home delivered texture modified meals for yourself. Leave the hassle of blending/mincing meals and you can be assured your meals delivered are safe, well portioned and delicious.

Following these healthy eating and lifestyle tips will ultimately improve your health and reduce your risk of getting another stroke.

Do you have a loved one who needs nutritious food that is easy to chew and palatable for their taste buds? Visit CaregiverAsia's E-store to view Health Food Matters' Delisoft Easy Meals that come in different textures and can be easily served by reheating in the microwave or steamer!

Vegetarian diet linked to lower stroke risk

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Research we're watching

Published: June, 2020

Eating a vegetarian diet may lower your risk of stroke, according to a study in the March 17 issue of Neurology.

The study included two groups of people from Buddhist communities in Taiwan, where vegetarian diets are encouraged. About 30% of the more than 130,000 participants were vegetarian, meaning they didn't eat any meat or fish. Their average age was 50, and none had a prior stroke.

During the follow-up, which lasted between six and nine years, the vegetarians had only about half the risk of experiencing a stroke as the non-vegetarians. That was true even after researchers adjusted for known risk factors such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and diabetes.

The finding adds further support to research showing that plant-based diets help protect against all types of cardiovascular disease.

Image: © YelenaYemchuk/Getty Images

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As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

Don’t Ignore These Warning Signs Before a Stroke — They Can Save a Life

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Neurosurgeons claim that if they are able to operate on a patient who’s suffered a stroke within 3 hours of it occurring, there is every chance that the person can make a recovery. But realizing someone is (or you are) having a stroke is not always straightforward for most of us who know little about medicine.

So here are some brief instructions to help you understand. We implore you to read them — you might just be able to save your own or someone else’s life one day.

How to understand that you are having a stroke

• Numbness in the left arm, leg, or the left side of the face.
• Trouble speaking and understanding other people’s speech.
• Complete or partial paralysis.
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Dizziness and loss of consciousness.

There are four steps you can take to determine if someone is experiencing a stroke:

• Ask the person to smile (if they are having a stroke, they will be unable to do this)
• Ask the person to say a simple sentence (for example, ’The weather is great today’) - again, if they can’t manage it there is a high probability that they’re having a stroke.
• Ask them to try to lift both arms (if they’re having a stroke, they will only be able to do this partly or not at all).
• Ask them to stick out their tongue (if the tongue is ’crooked’, if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.

If the person exhibits even one of these symptoms, call the emergency services immediately.

A cardiologist has been quoted as saying if everyone who gets this information sends it to ten people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.