Stroke, once thought to be an elderly disease, is now striking the young! A critical warning from experts...
Although stroke was long considered only a disease of advanced age, it has recently been sounding alarms among young people as well. Experts point out that stress and smoking, especially in individuals under 30, significantly increase the risk.
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While approximately 12 million people worldwide suffer a stroke each year, it is stated that this number is around 150 thousand in Turkey.
MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS OF STROKE
According to experts, the primary symptoms of a stroke include severe headache, nausea, muscle spasms in the body, and partial or complete paralysis in the arms and legs.
LATEST TREATMENT METHODS DISCUSSED
The causes of stroke and current treatment approaches were addressed at the Brain Symposium, held for the fifth time this year in Istanbul.
ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE WARNING
Speaking to NTV, Physical Therapy and Neurorehabilitation Specialist Prof. Dr. Engin Çakar emphasized that lifestyle habits are inviting danger, stating, "Inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption, excessive smoking, and especially the recent consumption of electronic cigarettes are calling for this. It usually causes one-sided paralysis, but if it is a hemorrhage, sudden shock or fainting can also occur."
FACING STROKE AT A YOUNG AGE
Stroke can now be seen at young ages as well. One of those who experienced this is third-year university student Sude Yılmaz. Yılmaz, who had a stroke when she was just 16, described her experience with these words:
"It has been about 6 years since I had a brain hemorrhage, but my treatments are continuing. I am getting better day by day, I am fighting, I have never given up the fight. Even though there is a brokenness inside me, I try not to give up."
"I STAYED IN INTENSIVE CARE FOR 38 DAYS"
Genetic predisposition also plays an important role in stroke. Siblings Havva Yapıcı and Eser Küçük battled the same disease despite a 7-year age gap. Describing the process she went through, Eser Küçük said, "When I fell and stayed down in the sink, my family found me; I stayed in intensive care for 38 days. Thank God, I am like a bee now; my sister got sick, so we brought her in."
EARLY INTERVENTION SAVES LIVES
Experts emphasize that early diagnosis and rapid intervention are of vital importance in stroke.