Vaccinating against seasonal flu each year can help avoid certain illnesses, lost work days and, especially among the elderly and others at risk, severe and sometimes fatal complications, especially respiratory (pneumonia) and cardiovascular. New evidence adds yet another excellent reason to protect yourself early, with the vaccine, from the most typical and widespread cold illness: to reduce your risk of being affected by stroke. Here are the details of two recent studies reporting this dangerous association.
stroke
Stroke: here’s what to do
Stroke is a life-threatening emergency. It occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures or becomes obstructed, due to a blood clot. In this case, the brain does not receive the blood flow it needs, and without oxygen, brain cells do not function and die within minutes.
Warning signs that indicate a possible stroke include numbness, weakness or paralysis of one side of the body, blurred vision, difficulty speaking, loss of balance, and sudden headache. Ten percent of strokes are preceded by a transient ischemic attack, the symptoms of which are brief stroke-like episodes. The average transient ischemic attack lasts 1 minute, although some even last for hours. Unlike stroke, the victim returns to normal at the end of the ischemic episode. However, it is important not to ignore the symptoms and take the patient to the hospital.
What do?
- Check vital signs.
- Place the victim in an appropriate position, if conscious raise the head and shoulders. If, on the other hand, the victim is unconscious put her on her side.
- Do not give anything to drink or eat.
- Call the ambulance.
Source: Mediserve‘s Pocket Guide to First Aid.
Could COVID-19 cause a stroke? Let’s look at the signs
A new and worrisome expression of Covid-19 infection was highlighted.
There are good reasons to believe that this virus could raise the risk of stroke in adults. Here’s what cardiologists believe you need to know.
Stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic
Stroke is a serious disease that occurs as a result of the reduction, or interruption, of blood flow to the brain (by which we mean the brain, cerebellum, and brainstem enclosed in the brainbox) and the subsequent death of brain cells.
Two forms are distinguished: the most common, ischemic stroke, occurs when a blood clot obstructs an artery carrying blood to the brain; hemorrhagic stroke is caused by the rupture of an artery.
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted for a short time.
