Stroke: Prevention, Recognition and Emergency Care

Stroke, commonly known as "stroke", is an acute cerebrovascular disease that causes brain tissue damage due to sudden rupture of brain blood vessels or blood vessel blockage that prevents blood from flowing into the brain. Stroke has the characteristics of high morbidity, high mortality and high disability rate, which seriously threatens people's life and health. Therefore, it is very important to understand the knowledge of prevention, identification and emergency care of stroke.

How much do you know about stroke?

1. Types of stroke

Stroke is mainly divided into two categories: ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic stroke is caused by blood vessel blockage, resulting in cerebral ischemia and hypoxia; while hemorrhagic stroke is caused by rupture of brain blood vessels, causing blood to enter the brain tissue.

2. Symptoms of stroke

The symptoms of stroke vary from person to person, but usually manifest as sudden headache, vomiting, impaired consciousness, slurred speech, limb weakness or numbness, etc. If these symptoms occur, you should seek medical attention immediately.

3. Risk factors for stroke

High-risk factors for stroke include high blood pressure, diabetes, high blood lipids, heart disease, smoking, alcoholism, obesity, lack of exercise, etc. Controlling these high-risk factors can help reduce the risk of stroke.

Preventing stroke starts from daily life

1. Eat a healthy diet

Maintaining a low-salt, low-fat, low-sugar diet and increasing the intake of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains can help lower blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood sugar, thereby preventing stroke.

2. Exercise moderately

Regularly performing moderate aerobic exercise, such as walking, jogging, swimming, etc., can enhance cardiopulmonary function, promote blood circulation, and reduce the risk of stroke.

3. Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption

Smoking and excessive drinking both increase the risk of stroke. Quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption can help protect blood vessel health and prevent stroke.

4. Control your weight

Obesity is one of the high-risk factors for stroke. Keeping your weight within a normal range through a proper diet and moderate exercise can help reduce the risk of stroke.

5. Regular medical check-ups

Regular physical examinations and timely detection and control of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia can help prevent stroke.

Identify stroke and seize the golden rescue time

1. Rapidly identify stroke

Mastering the "FAST" principle will help you quickly identify a stroke: F (Face) facial asymmetry; A (Arm) arm weakness; S (Speech) slurred speech; T (Time) time is life. Once you find these symptoms, call the emergency number immediately.

2. Stay calm and respond appropriately

While waiting for emergency personnel to arrive, stay calm and lay the patient flat on the ground to avoid injuries to the head, neck and back. If the patient vomits, turn his head to one side to prevent vomitus from blocking the airway.

Emergency care, fighting for life

1. Keep the airway open

During the first aid process, ensure that the patient's airway is open. If the patient is unconscious, he should lie on his side or tilt his head to one side to prevent vomit or secretions from blocking the airway.

2. Monitor vital signs

Closely observe changes in the patient's consciousness, pupils, breathing, heart rate and other vital signs. If any abnormality is found, notify the doctor in time for treatment.

3. Establishing intravenous access

During emergency treatment, it may be necessary to establish an intravenous access for the patient so that medication can be given in a timely manner, which requires medical staff to have skilled operation skills.

4. Cooperate with doctors for treatment

During the emergency treatment process, family members should actively cooperate with the doctor's treatment plan, such as signing an informed consent form, providing the patient's medical history, etc. This will help the doctor to more accurately judge the condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan.

5. Psychological support and comfort

Stroke patients and their families may experience negative emotions such as anxiety and fear during emergency treatment. Medical staff should provide psychological support and comfort to help them overcome difficulties.

Rehabilitation care helps patients regain confidence in life

1. Rehabilitation exercises

During the rehabilitation period, patients should undergo rehabilitation exercises under the guidance of professional rehabilitation therapists, including limb function training, speech training, cognitive training, etc. This will help patients regain their ability to take care of themselves.

2. Reasonable diet and nutritional support

Patients in the recovery period should maintain a healthy diet and take in enough nutrition to support physical recovery. Family members can develop a personalized diet plan based on the patient's actual situation.

3. Regular follow-up and review

Patients in the recovery period should go to the hospital regularly for follow-up and reexamination so that doctors can understand their recovery status in a timely manner and adjust treatment plans.

4. Psychological adjustment and social support

Stroke patients may face psychological adjustment problems during the recovery period. Family members and society should give them care and support to help them regain confidence in life.

Summary and Outlook

Stroke is a serious cerebrovascular disease. Prevention, identification and emergency care are of great significance in reducing its morbidity and mortality. Through the introduction of this article, I hope everyone can have a deeper understanding of the relevant knowledge of stroke and protect the health of themselves and their families.

With the continuous advancement of medical technology and people's increasing attention to healthy living, I believe that the prevention, identification and emergency care of stroke will be more perfect in the future. Let us work together to contribute to defeating stroke, the health killer!

Author: Cai Ying Dingxing County Hospital