Stroke affects young people too, and these are the warning signs | health | Must-have information for better health

Strokes do not only affect the elderly, but between 10 and 15 percent of strokes affect those under the age of 55, according to the German Stroke Association.

When a stroke occurs, not enough oxygen reaches the brain, due to blockage or bursting of an important blood vessel.

The question here is: Who are the young people most likely to have a stroke?

The German Stroke Association says women are more likely to be affected than men. There are factors that raise the risk of stroke, namely: contraceptive pills, smoking, and sensory migraine. If these three factors come together, the risk of stroke increases.

But these are not the only factors, according to the association, as there are: lack of movement, obesity, and high blood pressure.

In young people between the ages of 18 and 35, there are other factors that increase the risk of stroke, such as the presence of a congenital heart defect, genetic factors, and the occurrence of cracks in the carotid artery, which supplies blood to the head.

Chances of survival are high

There is good news for children of this age group, which is that the chance of survival after a stroke is high, compared to the elderly, provided that prompt assistance is obtained.

Signs of a possible stroke include difficulty speaking, vision problems, and sudden headache. Also, a defect in walking or any defect in the face indicates a hemiplegia, which is one of the signs of a stroke.

How can we do a preliminary test ourselves?

The German Stroke Association advises: Can a person smile with his mouth on both sides? Can the person raise his arms together upwards and turn his palms upwards? To speak clearly and naturally? If this is not the case, he should call an ambulance.

Brain diseases resulting from exercise
American football player Mike Webster was nicknamed “Iron Mike”. He won the Super Bowl four times with his team, which is the American Football National Championship. However, Mike suffered several traumatic brain injuries due to his practice of this violent sport, and he died early in the year 2002 when he was fifty years old. After his autopsy, doctors discovered concussions in the brain, which is why Mike is the first player to develop a sports-related brain disease.

Brain diseases resulting from exercise
Forensic pathologist Bennett Omalu (centre) is the first physician to specialize in the treatment and diagnosis of chronic sports-related brain damage. Omalu was subjected to a lot of pressure and threats to stop researching the causes of these diseases, but he continued his work, which made him a global star, which motivated director Peter Landesman (right) to make a film that tells the story of his life starring Will Smith (left). The movie is titled “Connection” (meaning concussion).

Brain diseases resulting from exercise
Trauma to the head causes behavioral and cognitive changes in a person, and this disease is called “CTE” or “concussion dementia”. And it happens to boxers, for example, loss of ability to speak, depression and dementia. Repeated trauma causes damage to neurons in the brain and the release of proteins that accumulate in the body, causing behavioral changes, an increased tendency to violence, and an urge to commit suicide.

Brain diseases resulting from exercise
Many NFL players committed suicide between 2008 and 2015, such as Terry Long, Tom McHale, Yovan Belcher, Adrian Robinson and Dave Durson (pictured), who committed suicide in 2011 and donated his brain to medicine. After examining the brain, doctors found signs of concussion dementia.

Brain diseases resulting from exercise
Even in the world of football, some players suffer from brain injuries, as the German national football team player, Christoph Kramer, suffered a brain shock in the final match of the 2014 World Cup, but continued to play for minutes afterwards, which almost exposed him to the risk of developing a “second shock”, which Concussion may lead to dementia. The problem that athletes and doctors suffer from is the lack of science in a medically approved diagnostic process for recognizing disease.

Brain diseases resulting from exercise
Football players can sustain brain injuries through head-to-head contact with another player, for example. According to a recent study issued by the German Federal Foundation for Sports Sciences, the risk of brain injury is about 38 percent for defense players, 28 percent for midfielders and attackers, and seven percent for goalkeepers.

Brain diseases resulting from exercise
Rugby is the most common sport in which concussion dementia occurs, in addition to concussions and traumatic brain injury, according to the German Federal Foundation for Sport Sciences, followed by American football, ice hockey and basketball. Brain injuries due to playing football are few compared to other sports, but due to the spread of the game in the masses, these cases spread among its practitioners. Author: Zaman Al-Badri / DW