Medically Verified By: Dr. Anjani Kumar Sharma
Stroke in young adults (Image AI Generated)
For a long time, stroke was thought to be a disease that mainly affected older people. But neurologists in India and around the world have noticed a change, which is quite worrying: more and more strokes are happening to people under 45 years old. Young workers, business people, sports lovers, and even college students are getting ill with strokes, which in the past only happened to older people.
Stroke is a condition in which the blood supply to a part of the brain is cut off either because of a blood clot that blocks an artery (ischemic stroke) or by a blood vessel rupturing causing bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). Brain cells cannot survive for long without enough blood and because of this the stroke is considered a medical emergency.
According to Dr Anjani Kumar Sharma, Director - Neurosciences, CK Birla Hospitals Jaipur, "Stress is probably one of the most dangerous factors yet almost invisible. Workplace anxiety, sleepless nights, and constant mental tension all raise the level of blood pressure and cause blood vessels to become inflamed as well as damaged. Unfortunately, many young people miss the signs of problems, such as recurring headaches, feeling one is always tired, or seeing one's blood pressure run high they even say to themselves, 'we are too young to have such risks'."
"Certain medical conditions restricted to younger adults may make them vulnerable to stroke. These are congenital heart diseases, blood clotting disorders, autoimmune diseases, arterial dissections, and genetic conditions affecting blood vessels. Sometimes, a stroke could be the first sign of a serious medical issue that has not been diagnosed yet," the doctor added.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the connection between infections and blood clot formation to public knowledge. Although the overall risk is low, severe infections and inflammatory responses have, in some instances, been related to an elevated risk of stroke even in younger people.
Delayed recognition of symptoms is among the biggest problems. Young adults rarely consider stroke as a possibility and may misattribute the signs to fatigue migraine stress, or sleep deprivation. Because of this, a lot of treatment time is wasted.
Here is what you should keep in mind for the signs of stroke, remembering the first letters makes it very easy:
F - Is the person? s face looking uneven? Does one side of the face seem numb?
A - Does the person? s arm suddenly feel weak or numb? Can he or she lift both arms?
S - Try to listen if their speech sounds slurred, or if what they are saying it is unclear.
T - Do not waste any more time here. Getting to the hospital will be able to allow for life-saving treatment and lesser disabilities.
The good thing is that a large portion of strokes among young adults is avoidable. Having regular doctor visits, watching one's blood pressure, keeping a healthy weight, engaging in physical activity, not smoking, drinking alcohol only in moderation, handling stress, and getting enough sleep can hugely cut down one's chances.
The increase in stroke in younger adults should be a call for us all to Really age is no longer a factor for protection against vascular diseases. Preparing and protecting one's health from the brain-go on this path, by knowing one's risk in time, visiting and living with medical professionals, and even a bit of luck to change things for the better needs to be done.
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