Stroke, normally considered a disease that affects the elderly, is now affecting more youngsters, according to leading neurosurgeons. “We are now seeing increasing cases of stroke among youngsters. It has become very common, and it is largely due to lifestyle, stress levels, smoking and other factors,” Dr. Rohin Bhatia, a leading neurosurgeon from Jaipur in a conversation with Hardeep Sodhi, founder of Stroke Support India, as a part of Cadila CNS, Cadila Pharmaceuticals’ awareness initiative on various neuropsychiatry disorders. Numbness of hands, visual blurring, and slurring of speech are among the symptoms of stroke, he said further.

Dr. Makarand Hirve, senior neurologist from Bhopal, said that stroke could happen to anyone at any age. “Strokes happen suddenly, affecting limb movement or sight. The trend of clotting of blood vessels is relatively more common in India due to various factors. Post-stroke seizure, headaches, and vascular dementia are some of the other post-stroke disorders,” Dr. Hirve said.

In his comments, Dr. Sunit Shah, senior consultant neurologist, Jaipur, said that time is of the essence in stroke cases. “90 million brain neurons get damaged every minute following a stroke. Recovery of damaged brain parts is very challenging and it all depends on how soon treatment begins. But due to lack of awareness, barely 1%  of stroke patients reach the hospital within the window period of four hours, leading to loss of valuable time,” said Dr. Shah.

Dr. Saurabh Srivastava, a leading neurosurgeon from Gorakhpur, said that medical and non-medical aspects are equally crucial for stroke patients’ recovery. “Medicines help to a certain extent in cognitive matters, but emotional support of a family is a must for stroke recovery. The patient should not be seen as a burden,” said Dr. Srivastava, stressing the need for regular monitoring and taking medicines as directed for proper recovery.

Cadila Pharmaceuticals is one of the largest privately-held pharma companies in the country and has been engaged in the development and production of high-quality but affordable medicines for patients around the world. Stroke Support India was formed in 2013 with the mission to raise stroke awareness and support stroke survivors and their families. It runs a free patient support group for stroke survivors in association with stroke management experts. It is also an active member of the World Stroke Organization.

All stroke affected are invited to become members of Stroke Support India community by visiting https://strokesupport.in

Also Read: Stroke disorder is a state of Medical Emergency 

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Stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability and mortality. According to the Indian Stroke Association, the incidence of stroke in India has increased by almost 100 percent in the past few decades. Around 1.8 million people in India suffer from stroke every year. Identifying the early signs and symptoms and getting treatment within the first four and a half hours (usually termed as the Golden Hour) after the onset is crucial. A delay in seeking the right treatment can lead to disability or death.

Stroke arises when there is a blockage or rupture of the blood vessels in the brain. Lack of oxygen and essential nutrients in the brain can lead to the death of brain cells that brings in serious problems. Since the brain controls each and every action, any disturbances can hamper the brain’s function. A brain stroke can happen anytime irrespective of age, gender and can affect the ability to move, speak, eat, cognitive abilities, and control over your own body.

Stroke is a state of Medical Emergency

Ischemic Stroke is the most common type, around 85 to 88 percent of strokes fall under this category which causes loss of oxygen to the brain due to a blockage of a vessel in the brain. Over time, high blood pressure can lead to the rupture of blood vessels in the brain. This is called a hemorrhagic stroke which is rare. It is important for patients to get proper medical evaluations done at the hospital to identify the types of stroke they are having.

Patients should receive immediate medical attention within one hour-the golden hour after they develop symptoms of stroke as the patients have a much greater chance of surviving and avoiding long-term brain damage if they arrive at the hospital and receive treatment with a clot-busting drug. In case the patient goes without treatment beyond the golden hours, it increases the risk of irreversible damage to the brain.

BE FAST, don’t delay.

Time is the key to survival in times of stroke. Stroke can often be a silent or painless disease that occurs suddenly. It is also termed a silent killer. If you think someone may be having a stroke use the F.A.S.T method to identify the early signs and symptoms. It stands for FAST (Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties and Time).

Identifying these signs and symptoms, reducing the risk factors, getting the best possible treatment available, and finding a hospital that is equipped to handle such critical conditions is vital.

Also Read: Brain Stroke Patients – Improve Quality of Life

Tips to follow

1. Seek help – Call for an ambulance if you find someone expiring the symptoms of stroke

2. Stay calm and look after the patient – One can also perform CPR before the arrival of the ambulance. Try getting information from the patient by talking to them and constantly monitoring their symptoms.

3. Don’t give any medicine or anything to eat – Avoid giving medicine such as aspirin, food or water to someone having a stroke. Stroke can cause paralysis which can make it difficult for the person to chew or swallow.

Dr. Srinivasa R

Lead Consultant – Neurology

Aster CMI Hospital

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Bangalore, October 29th: In a bid to mark the World Stroke Day, Brains Hospital, Richmond Road, on Thursday inaugurated a comprehensive “Stroke Unit”. At the moment the health care burden due to stroke is huge. Every year 2 million people are getting affected.

Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the world as on today.  With the increasing life span as well as risk factors like Diabetes and Hypertension the burden is only increasing further year after year. At the same time all the advanced research and understanding is not getting translated to the benefit of society. Also it is to be noted that primarily stroke is preventable.

Secondly, the disability following a stroke is again preventable. Thirdly, stroke isn’t a onetime event in life. It can strike again and again making the matters worse. The recovery rate continues to be poor in our country due to lack of awareness and timely action. Time is very crucial factor that determines the ultimate outcome, extent of recovery as well as time taken to it.

“In the light of above mentioned problems BRAINS Hospital has launched the first of its kind Stroke Unit that provides 360 degree care for this condition. The dedicated Stroke team at BRAINS is committed to fight this burning problem addressing all relevant factors influencing the management currently. We have established technology, process, protocol, systems, training, call centre, awareness, advocacy, continuity of care in acute, chronic and long term including rehabilitation, follow up and monitoring. The single most aim is to prevent a stroke in high risk people, if not get them back to the society as normal as possible” Said Dr NK Venkataramana, Founder Chairman & Chief Neurosurgeon, Brains Hospital, Bangalore.

The unit is operational 24/7. In case of any emergency one could contact: The emergency helpline: 9483240925.

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A stroke happens when blood supply to the brain is reduced or interrupted. There are mainly two types of strokes, ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic stroke is caused due to the blockage of blood vessels while a hemorrhagic stroke occurs due to a rupture of the blood vessel causing a decrease of blood circulation to the brain.

As per the 2016 – Global Burden of Disease Study, only one-fourth of stroke patients reach a medical care center within six hours of suffering the symptoms. Distance from a hospital, contact with a local doctor, and low-threat perceptions of symptoms were mentioned as independent factors for delay in arrival. Hence, it is critical to raise mass awareness about the symptoms of a stroke.

The FAST (facial drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulties, and time to call emergency services) strategy is the best way to remember and identify strokes. Other symptoms include slurred speech/difficulty in speaking, weakness of limbs, deviation of angle of the mouth, headache, and unconsciousness.

Strokes can be identified easily through a CT scan. It is also more efficient when differentiating between an ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke when compared with an MRI scan. Quick identification and diagnosis ensures that the treatment can also start at the earliest. The best way to prevent strokes is by following a healthy lifestyle, such as controlling one’s blood sugar, blood pressure, and taking anti platelet medication.

Dr. Sanjeev Kanoria, Founder
Suasth Hospital,Navi Mumbai

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Stroke is the second leading cause of death and disability worldwide and is responsible for 116 million years of healthy life lost each year. The impact on individuals, families and society is incalculable. According to studies this year Over 13 million people will suffer from this  and around 5.5 million people will die as a result. This can have different short- and long-term effects depending on which part of the brain is affected and how quickly it is treated.

One of the main disease processes leading to stroke is Atherosclerosis. The incidence of this problem increases significantly with age. There are many other risk factors, including tobacco use, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, raised blood lipid levels, obesity, male gender, genetic disposition and psychological factors.

Examining the causes of stroke:

Stroke is a condition where the blood supply to the brain is disrupted, resulting in oxygen starvation, brain damage and loss of function. It is most frequently caused by a clot in anartery supplying blood to the brain, a situation known as ischemia.It can also be caused by hemorrhage when a burst vessel causes blood to leak into the brain. Stroke can cause permanent damage, including partial paralysis and impairment in speech, comprehension and memory.

The extent and location of the damage determines the severity of this problem, which can range from minimal to catastrophic. Stroke has already reached epidemic proportions. Globally 1 in 4 adults over the age of 25 will have a stroke in their lifetime. 13.7 million people worldwide will have their first stroke this year and five and a half million will die as a result. Current trends suggest that the number of annual deaths will climb to 6.7 million annually without appropriate action.

Dr. Sonia Lal Gupta, Director and Senior Consultant
Dr. Kapil Singhal, Senior Consultant-Neurology
Metro Hospital, Noida , Uttar Pradesh 

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