Cerebral vascular occlusion is now found earlier in the age group of 45 years and over, commonly found in patients with diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, heavy smoking, or family history of Stroke.
Warning signs of cerebral vascular occlusion
- Weakness in limbs
- Numbness on one side, facial or mouth distortion, slurred speech
- Blurred vision or blindness in one eye
- Sudden headache without cause
- Sudden dizziness or fainting
If you experience these symptoms, you should see a doctor within 3 hours for diagnosis and immediate treatment
Risk factors for cerebral vascular occlusion
- High blood pressure 70% of Stroke patients have higher than normal blood pressure because blood vessels easily harden. If the pressure level is high at 105 mmHg, the risk increases by 10 – 12 times, and reducing blood pressure by 5 – 6 mmHg can decrease the risk by 40%
- Diabetes Diabetic patients are 2 – 3 times more likely to have strokes because diabetes can cause blood vessels throughout the body to harden easily
- Heart disease Patients with ischemic heart disease are 2 – 5 times more likely to have a Stroke than normal people, and patients with Atrial Fibrillation have up to 6 times higher risk of Stroke, which may be caused by blood clots blocking the brain or insufficient blood supply to the brain
- Smokers have a higher chance of paralysis than non-smokers. Quitting smoking for 2 – 5 years reduces the risk of Stroke by 30 – 40%
Preventing recurrence for those who have had a Stroke
Those who have had a Stroke have a 15% chance of recurrence in the first year and it decreases to 10% in the second year and down to 5% in subsequent years. Recovery from the symptoms does not mean the disease is cured, as blood vessels continue to degrade. Vessels that are not yet occluded but are narrowed will likely occlude in the future, and bulging vessels that have not yet burst have the potential to burst and cause new symptoms, hence it is advisable to regularly check for carotid artery occlusion that supplies blood to the brain (Carotid Duplex) every year
