Neurologist Dr. stated that the loss of function that occurs as a result of vascular diseases of the brain is called paralysis or stroke. Nurhan Yılmaz said that there are currently approximately 3 million stroke patients in Turkey and 250 thousand more people are added to these patients every year. Emphasizing that stroke is the disease that most frequently causes loss of function and disability in Turkey and in the world, Dr. Yılmaz stated that stroke is also a fatal disease and ranks third among the diseases that cause the most deaths in Turkey.
“IT IS MORE SEEN IN MEN”
Stating that there are two types of stroke, Dr. Yılmaz said, “80 percent of the time, we see it as an ischemic symptom that occurs as a result of occlusion or narrowing of a vessel in the brain. We see brain hemorrhages, that is, hemorrhagic strokes, which occur as a result of rupture or rupture of any of the brain vessels, which are 20 percent less common. Although stroke is more common in men, it is more fatal in women. At the same time, we see stroke more frequently in people with hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, inactive people, and people who smoke and drink alcohol. “Stroke is more common, especially in people with rhythm disorders, which we call pulmonary fibrillation,” he said.
“THREE SYMPTOMS HERALD STROKE”
Dr. explains that since different parts of the brain are responsible for different parts of the body and different functions, the clinical findings seen in patients vary depending on the affected area of the brain. Yilmaz stated that patients mostly consult doctors with speech disorders, muscle weakness, balance coordination disorders, memory loss and vision disorders. Underlining that stroke findings should be known by the society, Dr. Yılmaz listed the three main findings as facial misalignment, speech disorder and arm weakness.
“WE ARE COMPETING WITH TIME IN STROKING, EVEN SECONDS AND MINUTES ARE IMPORTANT”
Pointing out that stroke is a preventable and treatable disease, Dr. Yılmaz said, “In the treatable part here, the important thing is early diagnosis. That’s why we need to recognize when a stroke occurs and know very well what to do if we suspect it. Because we are racing against time. Turkish Cerebrovascular Diseases Association and Turkish Neurology Association determined the slogan ‘Time is the brain’. Time is very important for us. Because stroke treatment is time-dependent, we need not to waste time, not wait for the situation to get better at home, and if there is any doubt, we need to call 112 immediately. We said stroke is a treatable disease, but the first hours, which we call the acute period, are very important for us. “Seconds and minutes are very important for the person’s life and loss of function,” he said.
Dr. stated that the 112 Emergency Response team took the patient to the stroke center as soon as they received him. Yılmaz stated that these patients were given clot-busting treatment within the first four and a half hours; He stated that if there is a large vascular occlusion, a thrombectomy procedure is performed, in which an angiogram is entered into the vein and this clot is removed.
“DO NOT MISS YOUR DOCTOR’S CHECKS”
Pointing out the importance of regular doctor checks, Dr. Yılmaz continued his words as follows:
“I think I am healthy. That’s why I never go to the doctor’ is not a nice and good sentence. We need to eliminate the risks before vascular diseases reach a certain level. For this, we need to go to regular doctor checks. At the same time, we need to change our lifestyle and adopt a vascular-friendly lifestyle. “We can do this by eating, drinking, walking, sleeping and exercising.”
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