Vietnam is still a hotspot for stroke
According to Dr. Dao Viet Phuong - Deputy Director of the Stroke Center, Bach Mai Hospital, stroke is one of the leading causes of death in both men and women in Vietnam.
Notably, men are significantly at higher risk of the disease. The causes are not only from life and work pressures but also related to habits of using alcohol, tobacco and unhealthy lifestyles.
But stroke is not just dry statistics. Behind it are lives that can be turned upside down in the blink of an eye. Some people who are healthy suddenly collapse. Some people just because of slow emergency care face sequelae of hemiplegia, loss of speech or even death.
Stroke is not always obvious
Dr. Dao Viet Phuong added that many people already know the principle of F.A. S. T to identify stroke, including: crooked mouth, weak hands, difficulty speaking and calling emergency services immediately. This is an important way to recognize, but according to doctors, in reality there are still many cases of "FAST negative", meaning that on the surface there are no typical signs, but the brain is actually damaged.
Therefore, in addition to familiar signs, people need to pay special attention to some easily confusing signs.
One of them is sudden vision loss. Patients may have blurred vision or loss of vision in one eye. Many people simply think of eye strain, eye disease, or common circulatory disorders. However, if this is a sign of stroke and is not treated early, the consequences can be very serious.
The second manifestation is severe dizziness, loss of balance, staggering gait, completely different from normal dizziness. Patients may not stand firmly, feel everything spinning or lose control of their posture.
The third sign is sudden, severe headaches like "a thunderbolt". This may be a warning sign of a very dangerous condition that needs to be taken to the emergency room immediately.
Suspect stroke, absolutely do not drive yourself
One of the warnings emphasized by doctors is: when suspected of stroke, patients should not drive to the hospital themselves.
Dr. Dao Viet Phuong said that there were two patients who only had mild numbness on one side of their body but still tried to drive themselves to the emergency room. Both collided when stopping at a red light.
Fortunately, these cases encounter problems when the car is stopping. If it happens while traveling at high speed, the consequences may not only be dangerous for the patient himself but also lead to serious traffic accidents for those around them.
According to doctors, when the brain starts to be damaged, reflexes and control ability can be lost in an instant. Therefore, the safest way is to call emergency services or ask someone else to take you to the hospital as soon as possible.
In a panic, many families still apply unfounded word-of-mouth treatments. This is very dangerous and can make patients lose the opportunity for timely treatment.
Doctors recommend that when suspected of stroke, do not draw blood from the fingertips, do not give lemon juice, do not give food or use oral medication.
The reason is that stroke patients are very prone to choking. If they try to give medicine, water or anything, the patient may fall into acute respiratory failure, making the condition more serious.
Family members should also not waste time measuring blood pressure and waiting for blood pressure to "stabilize" before going to the hospital. With stroke, every minute that passes adds damaged brain cells. Hesitation sometimes has to pay the price with lifelong sequelae.
When you see unusual signs in a loved one, quickly check: ask for their name to see their speech ability, ask to raise both hands, lift their legs, observe if their face is crooked and ask clearly when symptoms started. These are very important information for doctors to treat promptly.
