This article will look at 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 occur mainly in people older than middle age. This is explained by the fact that cells go through the aging process, as well as the vessels of the circulatory system.
Diseases are getting younger
However, some pathological processes have the property of "getting younger", that is, occurring at a younger age. This is also true for stroke. The disease provokes blockage of small blood vessels, which causes severe brain damage and various he alth problems. Let's look at the causes of stroke at a young age and its signs.
Types of strokes
According to statistics, men at a young age are less at riskoccurrence of stroke than the fairer sex. In addition, women are much more difficult to endure pathology, among them there is a high percentage of mortality, and the recovery period is longer. Regardless of gender and age, stroke is divided into two types.
Ischemic stroke
Ischemic stroke at a young age is the most common, it is characterized by a violation of the process of 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 disruption 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, as it is accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the vessel. In this case, we are talking about a rupture with further hemorrhage in the cavities of the brain, located on the outside. Even a single capillary rupture can be enough to cause a hemorrhagic stroke. If a larger vessel has undergone destruction, the consequences will be much more terrible and with a large number of complications. The most likely outcome of a hemorrhagic stroke is death.
Causes of stroke in young people
The causes of stroke at a young age are the same in the case of both hemorrhagic and ischemic types of pathology. Risk factors are similar to those that provoke stroke in the elderly,however, there are also individual traits. 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 a person and does not depend on his age. If the patient's parents suffered from heart disease, the child is much more likely to have a stroke. It is heredity that leads to the emergence of pathology at a young age.
- He alth problems and various pathologies. A stroke may be preceded by disturbances in the functioning of the heart and valves, a decrease in vascular patency, and other diseases. Such pathologies lead to complications even at a young age.
- Injuries to the body caused by a severe 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 use of drugs based on hormones. Failure to comply with doctor's prescriptions regarding the use of hormonal drugs, including contraceptives, leads young women to a stroke. A significant violation of the hormonal balance in the body can change the very structure of the blood and provoke the formation of a blood clot. It is a very common cause of stroke in young women.
- Bad habits such as smoking or drinking alcohol. The lack of a he althy lifestyle quite often leads to the development of a stroke at a young age. Approximately one in ten cases among allstrokes between the ages of 20 and 30 are due to alcohol and tobacco abuse.
- Overweight. The problem of obesity is becoming more and more acute for many women. A large selection of sugary carbonated drinks, the general availability and distribution of fast food and other products that provoke weight gain are causing obesity. It is overweight that leads to an increase in cholesterol levels in the blood, as well as to an increased load on the heart and blood vessels. It is a common cause of stroke in young men.
- Injury in the region of the carotid artery. It can also cause various pathological processes, including stroke.
- Deviation from normal blood clotting. Exceeding the norm of INR provokes the formation of blood clots, and a decrease in this indicator can cause bleeding.
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 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 should pay special attention to. In case of their detection, it is necessary to call an ambulance and wait for qualified medical assistance. The main indicators of stroke development are:
- Sharp pain in the head, which can lead to impaired coordination, as well as fainting.
- The initial stage of a stroke may be accompanied by hiccups in women.
- Appearance of convulsive syndrome in the limbs. In some cases, a sharp muscle spasm leads to injury and a fall. What other stroke symptoms do young women have?
- Confusion and dizziness. Quite often, a person with a beginning stroke ceases to adequately perceive the reality surrounding him. The patient may stop hearing some words and even expressions.
- Forgetfulness. When an attack occurs suddenly, a person forgets why and where he went, cannot clearly explain the presence of any objects in his hands, etc., confusion arises. Signs of a stroke in young men should not be ignored.
- After a stroke, nausea and vomiting occur, in some cases, tinnitus appears. Subject to the use of an excessive amount of alcoholic beverages, such a state is attributed to intoxication and the person is left without qualified help.
- There are also visual signs of a stroke. Impaired blood circulation in the brain affects a person's facial expressions, he loses the ability to smile, and sometimes he cannot even close his eyelids.
- Men at a young age may experience severe fatigue and weakness in the background of the development of a stroke. At the same time, a breakdown is accompanied by sharp mood swings, and sometimes comes to a loss of consciousness.
- Often during a stroke violationblood circulation causes numbness of the limbs, as well as hearing and vision loss.
When identifying the listed signs of a stroke at a young age, it is necessary to provide assistance to the person and call the doctors.
First aid for stroke
Stroke is a serious 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 drugs. Before the doctors arrive, you need to help the patient yourself.
When a person has a stroke, it is necessary to lay him horizontally so that his legs are located above his head. In this case, a pillow should be placed under the head. If the patient is wearing tight clothing, it must be removed or the buttons unbuttoned, and the tie loosened if present. The window in the room where the patient is located must be opened, which will ensure the supply of fresh air, and the curtains, on the contrary, must be closed. The patient needs to ensure peace and tranquility until the arrival of doctors.
Quite often a person with a stroke overtakes a panic state and a feeling of fear. In this case, you should try to calm the patient and lay him down horizontally.
Hospitalization for suspected stroke
If a stroke is suspected, hospitalization and a full examination within a medical institution are required. When the diagnosis is confirmed, treatment begins, which is selectedindividually for each patient. The therapeutic scheme depends on how strong the attack was, and how quickly qualified assistance was provided.
Recovery period for this pathology
With a favorable forecast, the recovery period will last several months. Rehabilitation involves taking medication, following a therapeutic diet and performing special exercises. In particularly extensive and severe lesions, full recovery may not be possible.
The consequences of a stroke at a young age
How dangerous is a stroke?
Such a severe pathology as a stroke can lead to serious consequences. What they will be depends 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 in their 20s and 30s recover faster and are less likely to have strokes. But in the absence of help in the first hours after the attack, you can face a number of consequences:
- decrease in visual acuity;
- temporary or partial memory loss;
- paralysis of one part of the body;
- convulsions;
- loss of sensation;
- hearing loss.
Mobility disorders 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 cure. 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 are developing a stroke, attributing the malaise to other diseases. If every person, starting from a young age, was attentive to their he alth, this would significantly reduce the number of strokes. He alth is achieved through the implementation of simple rules that provide for a balanced diet, the right lifestyle, which implies the absence of bad habits, as well as moderate exercise.
A stroke at a young age causes irreparable harm to human he alth. In this case, the risk of recurrent stroke in adulthood also increases.
Basic rules to follow
To prevent this from happening, doctors recommend the following preventive measures:
- Balanced nutrition. Eating enough greens, fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry. Sugar, carcinogens and large amounts of fat should be excluded from the diet.
- Physical activity. To support the heart in a normal state, 3-4 sports per week are enough.
- Stressful situations. They should be avoided whenever possible.
- Consumption of alcoholic beverages. It's about limiting the amount of alcohol you drink.
It is important to be attentive to your he alth evenIn young age. Regular medical examinations are required.
We looked at the main causes of cerebral stroke at a young age.
