RECOGNIZE THE SYMPTOMS OF STROKE FROM THE EARLY TO PREVENT DISABILITIES AND DEATH DUE TO STROKE

According to WHO, stroke is defined as a condition in which rapidly developing clinical signs are found in the form of focal and global neurological deficits, which can be severe and last for 24 hours or more and can cause death without any other clear cause other than vascular/vascular flow disorders. brain blood. Strokes are divided into two, due to blockage (ischemic stroke) or rupture of brain blood vessels (hemorrhagic stroke). Without a blood supply, the brain will not receive oxygen and nutrients, so the brain cells will die. This condition then causes the part of the body controlled by the damaged area of ​​the brain to not function properly.

Stroke is the highest cause of disability in the world, and the second cause of death in the world after heart attacks. According to epidemiological data, every 3 seconds 1 person has a stroke. In 2019, 101 million people suffered a stroke worldwide, and this has continued to double in the last 30 years. Nowadays, strokes are not only experienced by the elderly, where 63% of stroke patients are under 70 years old.

The following is an explanation from Dr. Siti Nurlaela, Sp.S (Neurology Specialist) who practices at Hermina Tangkubanprahu Hospital, about stroke which is often encountered in our environment.

What are the risk factors for stroke?

Stroke risk factors are divided into two, namely risk factors that cannot be modified and risk factors that can be modified.

The risk factors for stroke that cannot be modified include:

1. Age. As you get older, the risk of stroke increases
2. Gender. Men are more at risk of stroke than women
3. Race. Blacks and people of color are more at risk of stroke than whites
4. Descendants. Having a history of stroke in the family will increase the risk of stroke.
5. Meanwhile, stroke risk factors that can be modified include:

Smoking, both active smokers and passive smokers

1. Obesity or overweight
2. Hypertension
3. Diabetes mellitus
4. High cholesterol
5. Lack of exercise or physical activity
6. Stress

What are the symptoms of stroke?

Each part of the brain is responsible for controlling different parts of the body, so stroke symptoms depend on the part of the brain affected and the level of damage. That is why stroke symptoms can vary from person to person. However, the characteristic of stroke symptoms is that they occur suddenly.

To make it easier to recognize stroke symptoms, always remember to go to the hospital immediately.

Se, meaning an asymmetrical smile (turning to one side), choking, sudden difficulty swallowing drinking water
Ge, meaning that the movement of half of the body's limbs suddenly weakens
Ra, meaning slurred speech/can't speak/can't understand words/speaks suddenly out of sync
Ke, means numbness or numbness, or sudden tingling in half of the body
R, meaning nearsightedness, blurred vision in one eye or sudden double vision
S, means a severe headache that appears suddenly and has never been felt before. Impaired balance function, such as feeling of spinning, difficult to coordinate movements.

What to do if you suffer a stroke?

If there are signs or symptoms of stroke, go to the hospital immediately! Because for every 1 minute delay in stroke treatment, 1.9 million brain nerve cells die, so the risk of death and disability due to stroke will increase.

The chance of recovering from a stroke will be greater if the patient immediately receives treatment within the golden period of stroke. The golden period is the optimal time to reduce the risk of permanent disability and death in stroke sufferers, namely less than 4.5 hours after stroke symptoms appear. Stroke patients who immediately go to the hospital during the golden period can undergo IV thrombolysis. IV thrombolysis is the main/definitive therapy for blockage stroke patients, which aims to destroy blockages in the cerebral blood vessels that block cerebral blood flow. IV thrombolysis is carried out by injecting a drug that destroys thrombus (clotting blood clots), namely recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) or actilyse into the vein of a stroke patient, at a dose of 0.6-0.9 mg/kgBW, maximum 90 mg. With this procedure, it is hoped that blood flow to the brain will return smoothly, so that it can save nerve cells damaged by the stroke.

Remember STROKE, remember to go immediately to the hospital. Because time is brain, every minute is very valuable to save nerve cells due to stroke.

Hermina Hospitals Group develops comprehensive services supported by specialist care. In carrying out its function as a health service, Hermina Hospital provides optimal health care to all patients. Code storke (integrated stroke service) is one of the services available in all Hermina Hospital branches, especially for stroke patients.

This service ensures that patients receive appropriate, fast and holistic treatment to minimize the long-term impact of stroke. A well-coordinated team and integration of various aspects of care are essential in achieving optimal outcomes for stroke patients. And the success of this stroke code service has been proven in stroke patients who have undergone treatment at Hermina Kemayoran Hospital.