Can "heat" cause a stroke? Prevention of stroke in summer cannot be ignored!

Stroke is a common cerebrovascular disease. In China, its incidence, morbidity, disability and mortality are all high, and it has become the leading cause of death and disability. Many people believe that winter is a high-incidence season for strokes. In fact, summer is also a high-incidence season for strokes. So, why do strokes occur in summer? How to prevent it? Don't worry, this article will introduce it to you in detail.

1. Why is it more common to have a stroke in summer?

1.1 The temperature is too high in summer, which makes it easy to get a "heat stroke".

People generally believe that the cold winter is the peak season for stroke, but few people know that the high temperature and humidity in summer are also a major cause of stroke. When the temperature is above 32℃, the incidence of stroke is 66% higher than normal, and the higher the temperature, the greater the risk of stroke. This situation is called "heat stroke". It is midsummer, when everything is flourishing and the Yang energy is at its peak. People sweat a lot, and the blood viscosity increases, which can easily lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases!

1.2 The temperature in the air-conditioned room is low, and the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor is large. The indoor temperature of the air-conditioned room is too low, and the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor is large.

In the hot summer, people will turn down the temperature of the air conditioner. The temperature difference between indoor and outdoor is very large. In addition, many people like to drink ice water. This will cause the microvessels to contract instantly, resulting in poor blood supply to the brain, thus causing ischemic stroke.

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1.3 Blood pressure fluctuations and unstable blood pressure

Seasonal changes can also affect blood pressure. High temperatures can make people irritable and emotionally unstable, which can easily cause blood pressure to soar, leading to stroke. Extreme heat can also affect sleep, making people unable to get enough rest and often feel tired, which can cause blood pressure fluctuations.

2. Summer heat stroke is often “unnoticed”

Stroke is a disease that is common in middle-aged and elderly people. Due to the weather, many people feel sleepy and tired in the summer, especially the elderly. As a result, some mild signs of stroke are often ignored, such as "mini-stroke". The main symptom of a mini-stroke is transient ischemic attack, which is mainly manifested as transient dizziness, slurred speech, numbness of the limbs, fatigue, etc. A mini-stroke is an early warning of a stroke and is also the best time to treat a stroke. In a stroke, about 1.9 million brain cells die every minute, and it is irreversible. If a patient has had a mini-stroke but has not received enough attention or timely treatment, he or she will become a high-risk group for a stroke.

In daily life, if the weather is not hot, but you suddenly feel stuffy, this is a precursor to a heat stroke in summer. This is a symptom that is very easy to be ignored. Because the body functions of middle-aged and elderly people decline and their sensitivity to temperature decreases, they will not show obvious discomfort when they have a stroke, which is what we call "no feeling". But there are also some people who will show various symptoms similar to stroke as long as they are in hot weather. Therefore, for middle-aged and elderly people with basic diseases such as high blood pressure and heart disease, they must pay attention to their physical condition in summer. When patients experience sudden blackening of one eye, constant yawning, slurred speech, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, numbness and weakness in the limbs, etc., they should seek medical attention in time.

3. How to distinguish between stroke and common heatstroke?

Most patients with cerebrovascular disease will experience symptoms such as dizziness and fatigue in the early stages of the disease, so it must not be regarded as simple heatstroke, so as not to delay treatment. The earliest clinical symptoms of heatstroke are flushing and dizziness. In addition to dizziness, stroke patients will also experience some neurological symptoms, such as numbness and weakness in the upper body, difficulty speaking, double vision in one or both eyes, etc. The above are all precursors to stroke. Once the above symptoms occur, you must seek medical attention in time.

4. How to prevent heat stroke in summer?

4.1 Don’t be greedy for coolness in summer

In summer, everyone likes to turn on the air conditioner to cool down. Sometimes the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor can reach more than ten degrees. Our body needs to constantly adjust to the different temperatures between indoor and outdoor. For older people, their vasoconstriction ability will decrease, which is likely to cause vasospasm, resulting in blood clots and stroke. Therefore, the temperature of indoor air conditioning should not be too low in summer. The temperature difference between indoor and outdoor should be between 7-8 degrees. If you stay in the air-conditioned room for a long time, it is best not to go out immediately. The best way is to turn off the air conditioner, then open the windows and doors to reduce the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor, so that the patient's body temperature and blood pressure have a buffer time.

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4.2 Scientific drinking water

In summer, the human body sweats easily, especially after exercise, when a large amount of water is lost from the body. If not enough water is added, the blood will become viscous, blood flow will slow down, blood clots will form, and it is easy to block the blood vessels in the brain and cause a stroke. Therefore, the elderly and the weak should drink more water in summer. Take the approach of "drinking more often and in small amounts", and the daily water intake should not be less than 1500ml.

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4.3 Stop smoking and drinking

Tobacco and alcohol are very harmful to the cardiovascular system. Studies have shown that smoking can cause strokes to occur earlier. The more you smoke and the longer you smoke, the higher your chances of having a stroke.

4.4 Warm water bath

When taking a bath in the summer, the water temperature should be around 34-36℃, which is close to human body temperature. This way, the water will evaporate after bathing, thereby effectively expelling heat from the body, increasing blood return to the heart, and making people feel more comfortable and cool.

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4.5 Emotional Regulation

In summer, you should have a good mentality, maintain a stable mood, and not be too excited. The most taboo for stroke is emotional instability, irritability, anger, and sadness. In summer, many people have strong internal fire, and are prone to insomnia, mouth sores, acne, irritability and other symptoms. The slightest disturbance will make people lose control of their emotions. This is very dangerous for people with high blood pressure, and it is easy to cause stroke or even myocardial infarction.

5. What should I do if a heat stroke occurs?

Timely and efficient treatment is the key to improving patient prognosis and reducing mortality and disability. Once a patient has a stroke, their family members should take the following steps:

5.1 Call 120 emergency number

If the patient shows symptoms of a stroke, the patient's family should immediately call the local medical institution's emergency number, inform the patient's specific condition and home address, and quickly open the door to facilitate medical staff to enter.

5.2 Posture adjustment

Family members should immediately help the patient lie flat with the head tilted to one side to prevent airway obstruction due to aspiration or tongue falling back, and ensure that the patient breathes normally.

5.3 Cardiopulmonary resuscitation

When the patient suffers cardiac arrest, CPR must be performed immediately. The correct first aid method is to unbutton the clothes, especially the belt and the buttons of the top. The first aid personnel put both hands parallel to the patient's sternum, cover the left hand with the right hand, overlap the palms, interlock the fingers, then squat down, use the strength of the upper body, press 30 times at a speed of 100-120 times/minute, and then perform 2 artificial respirations. During this period, foreign objects in the patient's mouth should be cleared. When rescuing, a steady frequency, moderate force, and continuous rhythm should be used until professional medical staff arrive at the scene.

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5.4 Record the patient’s clinical manifestations

If the patient is conscious, family members should accompany the patient, comfort him/her gently, and observe his/her condition. If necessary, blood pressure and blood sugar can be monitored. After the medical staff arrives, the doctor can be informed of the specific situation so that the doctor can take emergency measures. During the emergency rescue of the patient by the medical staff, the patient's family members must not intervene and should stay away from the scene. This will not only facilitate the doctor's rescue, but also ensure ventilation.

The above is the relevant knowledge about heat stroke in summer. I believe you have already learned about it.