29 October is World Stroke Day.
29 October is World Stroke Day, established by the World Stroke Organisation. The purpose of this day is to draw public attention to the problems associated with vascular and cerebral diseases.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), stroke affects about 17 million people a year and causes death in up to 6.7 million patients with this pathology, while more than 5 million are disabled.
“Patients with stroke symptoms should be taken without delay to the nearest healthcare facility with a stroke unit, where emergency specialised treatment is provided.
Financing of medical care for acute cerebral stroke is included in the Medical Guarantees Programme, which provides all Ukrainians with the same free list and access to medical services, regardless of the status of an internally displaced person,” said Natalia Litvinska, Director of the Health Department of the Lviv Regional State Administration.
According to Tetyana Negrych, a neurology expert at the Department of Health, the overall hospital mortality rate for cerebral stroke in Lviv Oblast in 2023 was 18.2%, for ischaemic stroke – 24.7%, and for haemorrhagic stroke – 40.2. The number of patients treated for ischaemic stroke in the region was 6,650, and for haemorrhagic stroke – 1,153.
“To prevent a stroke, it is very important to control existing cardiovascular diseases, especially arterial hypertension and diabetes. It is also important to control blood cholesterol levels. And, of course, you should give up smoking and alcohol, and lead a healthy and active lifestyle.
Remember, even if you have the slightest suspicion of a stroke, you should immediately seek medical help,” added Tetiana Negrych.
Symptoms of a stroke are easily remembered by the acronym “BRAIN”:
M – speech – slurred speech or misunderstanding of words.
O – face – sudden facial asymmetry or a crooked smile.
D – dizziness – loss of balance, coordination when walking, sharp headache (as if from a blow).
E – eyes – sudden deterioration of vision, double vision.
K – limbs – sudden weakness, numbness, more often on one side. No strength to shake hands, raise arms.
To recognise a stroke, ask the person to
- smile;
- say a simple sentence such as “My name is”, “I am going to work”, etc;
- raise an arm, both arms;
- stick out the tongue (in case of a stroke, the tongue is curved or turned).
As a rule, the following symptoms occur during a stroke
- the person cannot smile, with the corner of the lips usually drooping;
- the victim cannot speak normally – the speech is slurred and confused;
- the person cannot raise their arms or one arm is too weak and does not move;
- weakness or numbness in the right or left side of the body and limbs.
Please note that sometimes a stroke may only manifest as an intense headache.