In the article, we consider the causes of stroke at a young age.
Specialists draw a pattern between the age group of patients and some diseases. It is generally accepted that strokes, heart attacks and other pathologies of the heart and blood vessels are found mainly in people older than middle age. This is explained by the fact that cells pass through the aging process, as do the vessels of the circulatory system.
Diseases are getting younger
However, some pathological processes have the property of "getting younger", that is, to meet at a younger age. This is inherent in stroke. The disease provokes blockage of small blood vessels, which causes severe brain damage and various health problems. We will understand the causes of stroke at a young age and its symptoms.
Varieties of Strokes
According to statistics, men at a young age are less at risk of having a stroke than women. In addition, women are much more difficult to tolerate pathology, among them a high mortality rate, and the recovery period takes longer. Regardless of gender and age, stroke is divided into two types.
Ischemic stroke
Ischemic stroke at a young age is most common, it is characterized by a violation of the blood circulation in the vessels, as well as their complete or partial blockage. The cause of obstruction can be an embolism, a blood clot, the presence of cholesterol plaques and some diseases associated with a violation in the functioning of blood vessels, the heart, as well as oncological pathologies.
Hemorrhagic stroke
This type of pathology is less common than ischemic, but it is also more dangerous, since it is accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the vessel. In this case, we are talking about a gap with further hemorrhage in the cavity of the brain located on the outside. Even a rupture of one capillary may be enough for the occurrence of hemorrhagic stroke. If a larger vessel undergoes destruction, the consequences will be much more dire and with many complications. The most likely outcome for hemorrhagic stroke is fatal.
Causes of Stroke in Young People
The causes of stroke at a young age coincide both in the case of a hemorrhagic and ischemic type of pathology. Risk factors are similar to those that provoke a stroke in the elderly, but there are also individual characteristics. The most common causes of stroke at a young age are:
- Genetic predisposition. In this case, the risk factor is due to the heredity of the person and does not depend on his age. If the patient’s parents suffered from heart disease, the child is much more likely to develop a stroke . It is heredity that leads to the appearance of pathology at a young age.
- Health problems and various pathologies. Stroke may be preceded by disturbances in the functioning of the heart and valves, decreased vascular patency and other diseases. Such pathologies lead to complications even at a young age.
- Affected by a serious infectious disease. There are pathologies that can reduce the elastic properties and patency of the arteries. In addition, such diseases lead to tissue destruction, which causes a stroke.
- Regular hormone-based medication. Failure to comply with the doctor’s instructions for taking hormonal drugs, including birth control, leads young women to stroke. A significant hormonal imbalance in the body can change the very structure of the blood and provoke the formation of a blood clot. This is a very common cause of stroke in women at a young age.
- Bad habits, such as smoking or drinking alcohol. The lack of a healthy lifestyle quite often leads to the development of stroke at a young age. About one in ten cases among all strokes between the ages of 20 and 30 years occur due to alcohol and tobacco abuse.
- Overweight. The problem of obesity is increasingly facing many women. A wide selection of sweet carbonated drinks, the accessibility and distribution of fast food and other products that provoke weight gain, cause obesity. Excessive body weight leads to an increase in blood cholesterol, as well as to an increased load on the heart and blood vessels. This is a common cause of stroke in young men.
- Trauma to the carotid artery. It can also cause various pathological processes, including stroke.
- Deviation from normal indicators of blood coagulability. Exceeding the INR norm provokes the formation of blood clots, and a decrease in this indicator can cause bleeding.
A stroke can be triggered by various factors, but most of them depend on the person himself.
Signs of a stroke at a young age
Diseases of the heart and blood vessels develop over a period of time. In young people, this process can occur for several years, while passing in a latent form. There are a number of signs that women and men aged 20 to 40 years should pay special attention to. If they are detected, you must call an ambulance and wait for qualified medical help. The main indicators of stroke development are:
- A sharp pain in the head, which can lead to impaired coordination, as well as to fainting.
- The initial stage of a stroke may be accompanied by hiccups in women.
- The appearance of convulsive syndrome in the limbs. In some cases, a sharp muscle spasm leads to injury and a fall. What other symptoms of a stroke do young women have?
- Confusion and dizziness. Quite often, a person with a beginning stroke ceases to adequately perceive the surrounding reality. The patient may cease to hear certain words and even expressions.
- Forgetfulness. When an attack occurs suddenly, a person forgets why and where he was going, cannot clearly explain the presence of any objects in his hands, etc., there is confusion. Signs of a stroke in young men should not be ignored.
- Against the background of a stroke, nausea and vomiting occurs, in some cases, tinnitus appears. If you use excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages, this condition is attributed to intoxication and the person is left without qualified assistance.
- There are also visual signs of a stroke. Disturbed blood circulation in the brain affects a person's facial expressions, he loses the ability to smile, and sometimes can not even close his eyelids.
- Men at a young age may experience severe fatigue and weakness due to the development of a stroke. In this case, a breakdown is accompanied by sharp jumps in mood, and sometimes comes to a loss of consciousness.
- Often during a stroke, circulatory disorders become numbness in the extremities, as well as hearing and vision loss.
When identifying the listed signs of a stroke at a young age, it is necessary to help the person and call the doctors.
First aid for stroke
Stroke is a difficult pathological process that can lead to many complications and consequences, which will depend on the quality and timeliness of medical care. To stop the attack, the patient is given special medications. Before the doctors arrive, you need to independently help the patient.
With a stroke of a person, it is necessary to lay horizontally so that his legs are located above the head. A pillow should be placed under the head. If the patient is dressed in tight clothes, you need to remove it or unfasten the buttons, loosen the tie if it is present. The window in the room where the patient is located needs to be opened, which will provide fresh air, and, on the contrary, closed the curtains. The patient needs to ensure peace and tranquility before the arrival of doctors.
Quite often, a person with a stroke overtakes a panic state and a feeling of fear. In this case, you need to try to calm the patient and lay him horizontally.
Hospitalization in case of suspected stroke
If there is a suspicion of a stroke, hospitalization and a full examination within the framework of a medical institution are required. Upon confirmation of the diagnosis, treatment begins, which is selected individually for each patient. The therapeutic regimen depends on how severe the attack was and how quickly skilled care was provided.
The recovery period with this pathology
With a favorable forecast, the recovery period will continue for several months. Rehabilitation involves taking medication, adhering to a healthy diet, and performing special exercises. With particularly extensive and severe lesions, complete recovery may not be possible.
The consequences of a stroke at a young age
What is a stroke dangerous?
A severe pathology such as a stroke can lead to serious consequences. What they will depend on the timeliness of the medical assistance provided to the victim.
Consider the consequences of a stroke in a woman at a young age.
Girls aged 20-30 recover faster and are less susceptible to strokes. But in the absence of help in the first hours after the attack, you can encounter a number of consequences:
- decreased visual acuity;
- temporary or partial memory loss;
- paralysis of one part of the body;
- cramps
- loss of sensation;
- hearing loss.
Violations of motor activity can be overcome during the rehabilitation period, although loss of coordination of movements can be observed for another six months after a stroke.
Prevention of this dangerous pathology
Any disease, according to doctors, is easier to prevent than to treat. Stroke is no exception, so preventive measures play an important role. Statistics in medicine suggest that approximately 70% of people do not realize that they develop a stroke, attributing the malaise to other diseases. If every person, starting from a young age, was attentive to their health, this would significantly reduce the number of strokes. Health is achieved through the implementation of simple rules, providing a balanced diet, a proper lifestyle, assuming the absence of bad habits, as well as moderate physical activity.
A stroke suffered at a young age causes irreparable harm to human health. In this case, the risk of a repeated stroke in adulthood also increases.
Basic rules that are mandatory
To prevent this from happening, doctors recommend the following preventative measures:
- Balanced diet. Eating enough greens, fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry. Sugar, carcinogens and a large amount of fat should be excluded from the diet.
- Physical exercise. 3-4 sports a week are enough to support the heart in normal condition.
- Stressful situations. They should be avoided whenever possible.
- The use of alcoholic beverages. It is about limiting the amount of alcohol consumed.
It is important to be careful about your health even at a young age. It is necessary to undergo regular medical examinations.
We examined the main causes of cerebral stroke at a young age.