Save your heart from that ache

 

 

Just a month back, a 23-year-old Radio Jockey passed away due to cardiac arrest in the middle of a live show in Nagpur; actor Abir Goswami, also suffered the similar fate while exercising on a treadmill at the age of 37; CEO and MD of SAP India, Ranjan Das, also dies of cardiac arrest at the age of 42. The dead rate in India due to stroke is in the rising alarmingly.

 

 

According to recent data, approximately 1.8 million people in India out of the total 1.2 billion population suffers from a stroke every year. 

 

 

Previous data also shows that 15% to 30% heart strokes are suffered by people are below the age of 40. Another data by, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) shows that among 2634 admitted patients for ischemic stroke, 440 which is 16.7% are between the age group of 18 to 45 years. In short, heart stroke is not an elderly disease anymore, and young people are also at risk of dying due to stroke. 

 

 

The common factors, in India, behind this rising health hazard, are hypertension, smoking, diabetes, and dyslipidemia and low awareness of heart stroke. In fact, lack of awareness and failure of early detection is something that can make this disease an epidemic in India. 

 

 

To get a better picture of the seriousness of this disease here is a fact, in a stroke, 32,000 brain cells get damaged every second if it goes untreated. So, the delayed treatment might harm even more than anyone can anticipate or recover. 

 

 

Stroke is a perfectly treatable condition, and a timely treatment can reduce the impact of a stroke significantly, only if you are aware of it. There are a number of symptoms that indicates a possibility of a stroke, and there are measures one can adopt to improve their heart condition and lessen the possibility of a stroke. 

 

 

Here are the symptoms you should not avoid and get yourself checked in a hospital with proper infrastructure.

 

1. Discomfort or pain in Jaw: Discomfort, pain, ache, tightness in or around your lower jaw which can spread from chest to jaw.

 

 

2. Discomfort or pain in Neck: Another symptom that spreads from your chest or shoulder to your neck. Many sufferers also complain of choking or burning sensation in the throat.

 

 

3. Discomfort or pain in the shoulder: Heaviness, pain, pressure in or around one or both shoulder is often accompanied by many prior to a heart stroke.

 

 

4. Discomfort or pain in back: Pain in between shoulder blades is also a sign that spread from the chest. 

 

 

5. Discomfort or pain in one or both arms: Heaviness, numbness of any or both of the arms is common prior to a stroke. 

 

 

6. Discomfort or pain in the chest: This is a crucial sign of a heart stroke. Pain, heaviness, pressure, tightness or anything that in the middle of the chest makes on feel unwell should not be ignored. 

 

 

7. Nausea, stomach ache, indigestion: Women are more likely to suffer from these symptoms than men in case of a stroke. These symptoms are often dismissed due to various reasons but should not be taken lightly.

 

 

8. Dizziness: Dizziness and light-headedness are also seen as a symptom of possible heart stroke. 

 

 

9. Breathlessness: Difficulty in breathing, feeling breathless are often associated with possible heart stroke. 

 

 

10. Cold sweat or unusual sweating: This is one of the most common signs of a stroke seen in many cases.

 

 

How to reduce the chances of a heart stroke:

 

These are couple of tips and lifestyle modifications that can help to prevent a heart stroke:

 

 

1. Healthy diet: Reduce fast food consumption, eat the vegetables, fruits and minerals, vitamins, fibres, Omega 3, and anti-oxidants rich food.

 

 

2. Be physically active: Our present lifestyle requires less physical movement making us highly prone to blood pressure related issues and weight gain. Thus, be physically active and follow some exercise regime to live healthily.

 

 

3. Kick the butt, spill the drink: Any sort of tobacco consumption active or passive increases the risk of heart disease. Similarly, accessive consumption of alcohol is also injurious to heart. So, kick the habits that can stress your heart. 

 

 

Apart from heart disease, a lot of diseases can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle.