Panaji: Doctors in Goa say they have observed a lot of younger people, particularly those in their 20s and 30s, abusing their diet and ending up with early onset of diabetes and high blood pressure. Senior physician at the South Goa district hospital, Dr Eddie D’Mello, points to these lifestyle diseases as one of the main causes of strokes.
“It’s never too early to inculcate good diet and exercise habits,” D’Mello says.“It is also important to get adequate sleep, avoid alcohol or have alcohol in moderation, and practise yoga and relaxation techniques to reduce stress.”
The narrowing down of blood vessels begins early in life if one lives unhealthily, which is why measures for lifestyle changes should also be adopted early on, he says, while suggesting that parents can lead the way by encouraging their children to take to healthy diets and exercise. The physician also exhorts people, both young and old, to avoid processed and deep fried foods, and to indulge in aerobic activity for at least 150 minutes per week.
As soon as early signs of a stroke are noticed, family members should rush the patient to the nearest district hospital, Goa Medical College (GMC) and Hospital or a private hospital to initiate early treatment. Failure to do so may end up with patients developing a full-fledged stroke, D’Mello says.
“Even if there is improvement in the symptoms, one must immediately go to the hospital to be checked within the golden period of 4.5 hours. Often, people get transient ischemic strokes that improve within 24 hours, but these must be evaluated. If not, one can end up with a full-fledged stroke,” he warns.
Awareness programmes are conducted at health centres for early referral of stroke patients to the two district hospitals in the state or to the GMC where they can be administered clot-busting drugs if required, after a CT scan and clinical evaluation. As preventive measures, D’Mello advises quitting smoking and regularly checking blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol, which he says are major risk factors.
“There are no symptoms for high blood pressure, so the only way of knowing is to get it checked at least once in six months if one has no problems. If one is already on (blood) pressure medication, this has to be taken regularly and pressure checked at least once a month,” he says.
He also advises people to not get misled by advertisements and abruptly stop pressure or diabetes medication without medical consultation.
Families who are already caring for stroke patients and require support can seek palliative care support from the team at the South Goa district hospital that provides advice and support to families handling patients with strokes on a long term.