Over half of the UK’s population have a misconception that strokes only happen to older people, but this couldn’t be further from the truth as a quarter of young stroke survivors, that is those aged 18-60 feel that their stroke has robbed them of their future. A stroke can be defined as an emergency condition which is caused by the obstruction of blood flow to a certain part of the brain. This can lead to the person involved having a brain injury which can permanently effect the way they are able to lead their lives. People are being encouraged to keep an eye out and ensure that anyone they know doesn’t suffer permanent damage due to a stroke.
World Stroke Day falls on the 29th October each year and there are many campaigns which are running to ensure that people know all the signs and symptoms which they need to look out for. This can help them save a person’s quality of life and ensure they have as much independence as possible to manage their every day lives.
There is an easy way that people can remember what to look out for when checking whether or not someone has had a stroke. They have to remember the phrase BE FAST as each of these letters stands for an area of the body which can be drastically effected by a stroke.
Is the person involved able to stand on one leg for a certain period of time or have they developed balance issues which are out of the ordinary.
They could also experience blurred vision or the partial or total loss of sight in one or both eyes.
They should look out for whether they have any weaknesses in their facial muscles that can cause their face to fall to one side. This should be immediately obvious when you see someone and should show that action should be taken promptly.
Another sign people should look out for is whether someone they are around can raise both their arms. If there is a disruption in the blood flow to the brain, this can have a massive impact on it’s ability to send messages to and from different parts of the body including the arms.
Strokes can also effect the ability someone has to speak clearly as almost all stroke sufferers have slurred speech which can make them extremely hard to understand. There is a convenient way to check someone’s speech as you can request them to repeat the short sentence “Remember the Alamo”. If they are unable to repeat this phrase, this is another sure sign that something may be drastically wrong and they will need emergency attention as soon as possible.
If you notice any of these signs, it is important to call the emergency services and get the person involved medical attention as soon as possible to try and save what quality of life they have remaining.
There are over 100,000 strokes each year and 1.3 million stroke survivors living in the UK today, with these numbers only set to grow. With an increasing number of people surviving stroke and an ageing population, by 2035, the number of stroke survivors living in the UK is expected to rise to over 2 million. The estimated overall cost of stroke in the UK is set to rise from £26 billion in 2015 to £75 billion in 2035, an increase of 194% over 20 years4, presenting increasing societal challenges in future.
Alexis Kolodziej, Executive Director at the Stroke Association, said: “People still think stroke is a condition that only affects older people. It’s crucial that we challenge this misconception and make people aware that stroke affects young adults too.
“Stroke simply shouldn’t be a key milestone in a young adult’s life. When planning for the future, no one prepares to have a stroke. Yet one in four strokes happen in people of working age and around 400 children have a stroke in the UK every year.
“After a stroke, life changes in a flash. Two thirds of people who survive a stroke find themselves living with a disability. As a result, young stroke survivors are having important milestones and their planned futures stolen from them, while they have to learn to adapt to their new life affected by stroke.”
