Stroke is one of the leading causes of death which does not seem to end soon. Stroke is basically when the supply of blood is obstructed due to some cause leading to interruption in brain signals. Because of this condition, the brain function start decreasing and lack of medical support can create life-threatening consequences. Stroke also causes brain damage and complications related to it.
In order to raise awareness about stroke, we have come up with a campaign on the account of World Stroke Day. It is to inform people about different aspects of stroke and clear misconceptions related to it. World stroke day is observed every 29th October to give a platform to increase knowledge and conduct strong movements in order to prevent stroke conditions from occurring to people. Today we will tell you about some myths and misconception about stroke which people have in their mind. We will also try to explain the facts beneath these myths.
Myths and Facts About Stroke You Should Know
1. There is no way to prevent stroke
Many people have this belief that nothing can be done to prevent a person from getting affected with stroke. This is not true, in majority of case stroke can be treated or prevented by having some lifestyle changes in order to lower down cholesterol levels and risk of diabetes. Once the risk factors come under control, there are minimal chances that you may have stroke. Other factors that you need to control are-
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- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Unhealthy food choices
2. Stroke happens in Heart
Well, this is a long standing myth about stroke which a huge population believes to be true. The truth is that stroke affects blood vessels in the brain because of which heart is also affected. In stroke, the temporary damage or permanent damage of blood veins cause lack of support to the body functions because of which it may rupture the artery or bleeding may also take place. But the fact is that stroke is truly a condition related to brain and not heart.
3. Stroke cannot be treated
Like the first myth, people also believe that stroke cannot be treated under most circumstances whereas the truth is just opposite of this. In most cases, i.e. around 75% cases, stroke can be treated with the help of medications and surgical methods. If the arteries get blocked because of which brain cells are dying, then an immediate brain surgery is done to remove that blockage and for the brain to function well again.
Another problem that becomes evident and cause stroke is blood clot in the brain, this can also be treated by some medical procedures to stop a person from getting hemorrhagic stroke. If the bleeding stops, then there are bright chances that person can be cured.
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4. Stroke affects elderly people
A number of people have this misconception in their mind that stroke effects only elderly people, and not young generation. This is also a big myth, yes the numbers of cases or fatalities are more amongst elderly people but among all the cases around 25% of youngsters also get stroke. Therefore stroke can affect anyone at any point of time. The only reason that older people are at higher risk because their natural body functions start declining and they have greater chances of falling for diseases.
5. Aspirin is effective against stroke
This is a totally wrong myth which should be busted as soon as possible. Aspirin does show some relief in case of heart attack to prevent clotting, but it is not the case with stroke. In fact, in some cases aspirin has made the blood clot worse. Aspirin could actually harm the brain if it has occurred because of clotting in the pain. You must only take aspirin with doctor’s prescription in order to prevent yourself from complications of brain stroke.
6. Symptoms of stroke are not visible
A large population of people believe that they did not get any symptoms before getting a stroke. The key is to observe, it’s true that it is not easy to know about symptoms of stroke in the first place, but if you keep observing for a while, you will be able to determine the symptoms and prevent yourself from adversities.
There is also a test for this called BE FAST. The full form of this is balance, eyes, face, arm, speech and time; basically this is a way to identify symptoms of stroke. These 6 factors need to be observed for any unusual signs which might be visible in case of stroke. You may get blurred vision and facial droop if you are near to have a stroke. Every factor determines different sign, and you must consult a doctor if you get any of these.
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7. If symptoms go away, there is nothing to worry
Brain stroke is condition which takes life-long to recover in the full capacity as before. Transient ischemic attacks which are also called mini strokes commonly can also occur after months of treatment from stroke. Therefore it is best to take adequate precautions to prevent having stroke in any case and do not neglect even the smallest symptoms such as weakness in arms of legs for granted.
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