Consider this... according to the American Stroke Association, 795,000 Americans suffer strokes annually. That means that in 2005 about 151,050 of those strokes occurred in someone between the ages of 20 and 54. Why is this number rising?
One reason is that as medical technology improves, we are able to diagnose more strokes. Sometimes a person may only have a vague sense of not feeling well. In the past, a doctor asked a lot of questions and then examined you from head to foot. He or she determined what was wrong with you and, more often than not, was right. But a vague sensation of not feeling well and a small stroke with a normal examination might be very difficult to diagnose. Nowadays a doctor asks questions and does an examination but now we have CT scans and MRIs. We order a brain CT in someone with that vague feeling and see a stroke, the place where brain cells are injured, dying, or dead. That is a patient whose stroke might not have been diagnosed before CT scans were available. So our new equipment helps us find more strokes. Unfortunately, that is only a small part of the answer. There really are more strokes occurring in younger adults. But why?
We take it for granted that young people are healthy. Their bodies have not had time to develop real problems and so, when a stroke occurs, it must mean that something is very wrong. In adults younger than 45, trauma is the most common cause of stroke. It accounts for about 22% of strokes in this age group. With hemorrhagic strokes, where there is a blood vessel rupture and bleeding, the second most likely cause is arteriovenous malformation. This is an abnormal collection of arteries and veins that a person is born with. Lupus, certain cancers, illicit drugs like ecstasy, cocaine and amphetamines, some blood diseases including sickle cell disease and thrombocytopenia. These are just a few of the conditions that can increase the risk of stroke in the young. Women can have strokes associated with birth control pills. About 5% of strokes in young women occur after having a baby.
Strokes in young people can also be caused by the same factors that cause strokes in older adults. And that is the problem. The number of strokes in young adults is increasing because people are developing those stroke risk factors at younger ages. More young adults and even children are overweight. Some are obese. Many have high blood pressure and diabetes. Increasing numbers have high cholesterol and smoke cigarettes. Most strokes occur after someone has had those risk factors for many years. These traditional stroke risk factors are present at earlier ages and so, the consequences are occurring at younger ages.
Smoking is a very important and modifiable risk factor. It is responsible for a higher percentage of strokes in young adults than in older adults. With all that we've learned about smoking and its contribution to cancer, heart attacks, lung diseases, etc. why does anyone take up this habit? How can anyone afford it?
Young adults are also more likely to be involved in other risky behaviors that increase stroke risk:
- Rough contact sports that result in head and neck injuries
- Motor vehicle accidents including motorcycles, ATVs, etc.
- Heavy alcohol use
- Illicit drugs
- The misuse of legal drugs like caffeine and pseudoephedrine found in over-the-counter products
- Illegal anabolic steroids
Many doctors are seeing younger stroke patients. And more of them. This is bad news for many reasons. Younger brains may recover better after a stroke, but there may still be significant permanent damage. Think about this. Having a stroke is awful at any age. But an 80-year-old who has a stroke is probably retired. Their children are likely to be adults. Maybe that person now has to live in a nursing home. How long might that be? Five years? Ten? A 45-year-old, paralyzed for the rest of his or her life, may be unable to ever return to work and forced to live in a nursing home for decades. Their children are younger and more likely to still be living at home.
How old are you? What were you doing at age 45? If you're younger, what do you see yourself doing in the future? Most 45-year-olds are working, raising kids, taking care of their homes. The activities we all take for granted like playing with our children, going out with friends, shopping, riding a bicycle, hiking, skiing, could become suddenly impossible.
Young people often think of themselves as immune and indestructible. Many do not see doctors because they feel fine and do not think anything serious could happen to them. Poor lifestyle changes may not kill you today, but they have a way of catching up with you later. No matter how old or young you are, do these things:
- Stop smoking!
- See your doctor. Identify your stroke risk factors and start working on them.
- While seeing the doctor get treatment for any medical conditions you have.
- Eat a healthy diet. Try the Mediterranean Diet.
- Achieve and maintain your proper weight. For many of us, that means losing weight.
- Exercise regularly.
- Limit your alcohol intake.
- Avoid sports and other activities associated with head and neck injuries. If you can't avoid the activity, use the proper safety equipment.
- Avoid illicit drugs.
- Share this information with a young adult today. Prevention is the key!
Every day... say NO to stroke!
Interested in the "10 Steps" you can start taking today to stay healthy, and decrease your risk of stroke and dementia? Visit http://saynotostroke.com and sign up for the newsletter on the Subscribe page. Encourage a young adult to subscribe.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7631426
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