The older a person is, generally the more diseases they have the potential to suffer from. Diseases that are often found in the elderly include: hypertension (high blood pressure), arthritis (inflammation of the joints), COPD, diabetes (diabetes) and stroke.
Stroke is a condition that can threaten a person's life and can also cause permanent damage. Stroke is a condition in which the blood supply to the brain is interrupted or not smooth enough, so that the brain tissue is deprived of oxygen and nutrients. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die.
Stroke can strike anyone regardless of age. There are 2 kinds of risk factors that can increase a person's stroke, namely risk factors that can be changed and those that cannot be changed. Risk factors that cannot be changed include: Age, gender (women are more susceptible), heredity, and family history of having had a stroke / coronary heart disease. Modifiable risk factors are mostly influenced by lifestyle, including: smoking habits, inactivity, alcohol, drugs, obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and dyslipidemia.
The causes of stroke are generally divided into 2, namely:
- Ischemic stroke: Blood clots block blood vessels. This type is common in elderly people.
Hemorhagic Stroke: Occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or bursts allowing blood to flow into the brain or to the surface of the brain. This type of stroke is more deadly.
Stroke symptoms include:
- Sudden and severe headache
- Difficulty seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden dizziness and difficulty walking
- Sudden confusion. Difficulty speaking
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arms or legs
Stroke treatment depends on the cause of the stroke itself. Stroke is treated using drugs, such as preventive drugs to lower blood pressure, cholesterol-lowering drugs, drugs to eliminate blood clots. How likely it is that a person can recover is not yet known. Many people need rehabilitation such as speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.
Stroke can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle (eating healthy food, exercising regularly, not smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation). Lowering cholesterol & high blood pressure with drugs can also reduce the risk of stroke. Maintaining normal blood sugar levels is also important to prevent stroke.