Doctors point out 4 misconceptions about stroke that can easily cause the disease to recur

A stroke is a condition in which a blood vessel in the brain (arteries, capillaries or veins) is suddenly blocked or ruptured without causing a traumatic brain injury. When the capillaries burst or become blocked, brain cells will be deprived of oxygen and nutrients and will begin to die.

Complications of a stroke can include hemiplegia, speech disorders, loss of ability to swallow, loss of bladder and bowel control. Cognitive complications can also occur, including memory loss and decreased ability to concentrate, and even confusion.

According to Sohu (China), here are 4 misconceptions about stroke that can cause the disease to quickly recur:

1. Stroke is a non-recurrent disease.

Many people think that stroke is a disease that does not recur. However, this is a completely wrong concept. Recurrent stroke (recurrent stroke) is a condition in which a person who has experienced a stroke before continues to experience a second or more strokes.

Stroke has a high risk of recurrence, especially in the early period after the first stroke. A recurrence is more dangerous than the first stroke because it can cause more severe brain damage and increase the possibility of complications.

Additionally, the body's ability to recover from successive strokes may be reduced, increasing the risk of death or long-term disability. Managing and treating risk factors is important to minimize the risk of recurrent stroke.

2. Underestimating risk factors and not using maintenance medication after stroke

To treat a stroke, patients may need to take a variety of medications, such as antiplatelet drugs and lipid-lowering drugs, for a long time. Many people worry that taking medication may cause thinning of the blood vessels or side effects that affect their health. However, the idea that you should not take medication after a stroke is completely wrong.

First, stroke patients need to take the correct medication and the correct dose as prescribed by the doctor both during and after treatment. In particular, if the patient's body already has chronic health conditions that increase the risk of stroke such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, etc., long-term medication to control and stabilize health is necessary, unless otherwise indicated because these chronic diseases cannot be completely cured but can only be managed to avoid worsening by taking medication and changing lifestyle.

Once pathological factors are not properly managed, stroke is very likely to recur.

3. Thinking that after a stroke, just taking medicine is enough

In fact, after a stroke, although controlling symptoms with medication is important, if the patient does not change their lifestyle and continues unhealthy habits such as smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise, etc., the disease will be more likely to recur. Because part of the cause of a stroke comes from unhealthy living habits.

Instead, to prevent recurrent strokes, you need to maintain good living habits over a long period of time, including staying away from tobacco, quitting alcohol, exercising regularly, and controlling your weight. , have a low-salt, low-fat diet and a diverse, healthy diet, keep a comfortable mood, manage stress well, live on time...

4. Skipping check-ups

Re-examination is very important for people with stroke because it helps monitor the progression of the disease, evaluate the effectiveness of treatment and adjust the treatment regimen when necessary. Re-examination is also an opportunity to detect and treat complications early as well as prevent the risk of stroke recurrence.

Through regular check-ups, doctors can help patients better control risk factors and improve quality of life through blood tests, physical assessments, etc.

In addition, patients with a history of stroke also need to learn how to use a blood pressure monitor at home and monitor regularly, record and give the doctor a blood pressure monitoring book at each visit, this helps the doctor to better assess the condition.

Likewise, if you have diabetes, monitoring your blood sugar at home is equally important to prevent a stroke. How often you check your blood sugar depends on the type of diabetes you have and your medication use.

In general, if you have ever had a stroke, you need to be especially careful and learn how to manage your lifestyle and take medication as prescribed by your doctor to prevent recurrence. If there are unusual symptoms such as: difficulty in hearing, speaking or recognition; paralysis on one side of the face, legs, arms; double vision, sudden vision loss, dizziness; sudden headache accompanied by vomiting; confusion; collapsing, losing balance, losing control of limbs; stutter; shortness of breath; Heart palpitations... need to quickly go to the nearest medical facility for emergency treatment and intervention.