Stroke can occur at any age, even in young adults. It may be without after-effects if it is treated urgently. But to do this, you need to know the warning signs.
From the age of 25, one in 5 French people will have a stroke in their lifetime. It is one of the main causes of mortality in France. Often considered the prerogative of the elderly, stroke However, it affects more and more young people. “IL There is no age to suffer a stroke. The average age is around 70-72 years oldbut 25% of strokes occur in people of working agetherefore under 60 years old. Stroke can affect children and young adults and we must think about it when faced with signs that appear suddenly” alerts us to Professor Charlotte Cordonnier, Vice-President of the French Neuro-Vascular Society (SFNV) and head of the neurology and neurovascular pathology department at Lille University Hospital, specializing in the treatment of stroke. According to her, this increase in strokes among young people “is mainly explained by the changes in our way of living, more sedentary, and the increase in risk factors for stroke such as overweight, obesity and diabetes for young people. There atmospheric pollution is also a parameter highlighted by the scientific community, particularly in the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) evaluations.“. On the occasion of the Daytime world againstStroke scheduled for October 29, 2023, Professor Cordonnier details the warning signs of a Early stroke.
1. I can no longer lift an arm
“Heavy arm, heavy legs… Any loss brutal motor skills should suggest a stroke. It is only one member that is concerned: the notion of asymmetry is extremely important“, indicates our interlocutor. Typically, it is when the person is asked to raise both arms in front of them and one of the arms cannot be raised or remained high and it falls.
2. I can no longer speak
“Of the difficulty speaking, pronouncing or understanding sentences which appear suddenly are also suggestive of a stroke. By “brutally” we mean “From one minute to the next“: brutality is a very important parameter for orientation and possible suspicion of a cerebrovascular accidentl”, explains Professor Cordonnier. A deformation of the mouth (an asymmetrical smile when the person smiles) which is medically called hemiplegia is also typical of a stroke.
3. I can no longer see one side, it’s blurry
“Sudden visual disturbances, such as blurry vision and partial or total loss of vision on one eye may be a sign of stroke“, she continues.
The signs of stroke do not always appear all at once. The occurrence of one or more of these signs requires emergency treatment. “Even if these signs only last 5 minutes, you must dial 15 and this, whatever the age“, insists Professor Cordonnier. The acronym “FAST” (because you have to act quickly in the event of a stroke) helps you remember the most common signs of a stroke: V for “Slumped or asymmetrical face”, I for “Inability to raise arms”, T for “Speech disturbance” and E for “Extreme emergency“.
90% of strokes can be prevented
Today, 90% of strokes could be avoided on an individual level. This involves avoiding risk factors: avoid smoking, limit your alcohol and salt consumptionmonitor your cholesterol regularly and his blood pressure (half of hypertensive people do not know that they are hypertensive), make sure they do not have diabetes, fight against a sedentary lifestyle by having regular physical activity (30 minutes of walking per day or 2 to 3 times a week, 30 to 45 minutes of a more intense activity such as swimming, cycling or running). “At any age, you can take action to protect your brain“, concludes our specialist.