Stroke in younger years – what you need to know about the disease

Family, colleagues, and Fans mourn the loss of Luke Perry: The actor of the cult series “Beverly Hills, 90210” died on Monday of a “massive stroke”, a spokesman confirmed. Many Fans react in shock to the unexpected death of the actor. A stroke is a disease that strikes not only older people. The most important questions and answers.

Stroke – what actually is it?

In the case of a stroke, parts of the brain are not sufficiently supplied with blood and losing their function. It comes to paralysis and failure. Strokes can have different causes: In about 80 to 85 percent of all cases, they are vessels to clogged blood in the brain. The so-called brain arteries by a blood clot or vascular calcification closed. One then speaks of a so-called cerebral infarction or stroke. This is the most common Form of stroke.

As a further cause of bleeding, are eligible. They occur when blood vessels burst Inside the brain, and the blood in the tissue outlet. Most of these arteries are damage due to calcification of the arteries, high blood pressure can cause the Rupture of the vessel wall.

Strokes are not actually a disease of the ages?

No, not exclusively. Different than is often suspected, you can also occur in young people. Although people are diagnosed with more than 70 years, the world’s most. But a stroke can also affect much younger people. “We in Germany of 30,000 Affected under 55 years of age per year,” explains senior physician Lars Kellert from the University hospital of Munich, in an interview with the German stroke help. Doctors speak seizures in these cases of “juvenile impact” – i.e., strokes in younger patients.

What risk factors are there?

The age counts in addition to the genetic predisposition to risk factors that cannot be influenced. Also hypertension, Diabetes mellitus, Obesity, lack of exercise, Smoking and alcohol consumption can predispose them to stroke. An unhealthy lifestyle increases the risk of atherosclerosis, the blood vessels calcification of blood. In the consequence, can make it easier blood clots.

Strokes in younger people can also be by means of otherwise rare causes triggered – for example, coagulation disorders, or spontaneous vascular dissection of a cervical artery. The wall layers of the artery split, it can lead to constriction or even closure of the vessel. “We expect that 15 to 25 percent of juvenile stroke caused by these dissections,” explains the physician, Lars Kellert. “These patients are often in their 40s or younger, in higher life, such dissections are a rarity.”

What are the symptoms that suggest a stroke?

A stroke often manifests itself in the paralysis of a foot, a Hand or one entire half of the body. The disorder can also affect the face: It looks wrong, the angle of the mouth depends on the eyelid is closed on one side. In addition, speech disorders, difficulty swallowing, dizziness, unsteadiness of gait and severe headache can occur. In the worst case, homelessness and a Cycle threaten to deliberately collapse.

What to do in an emergency?

In the case of suspected stroke immediately, the rescue service must be under the emergency number 112 for assistance. You inform the rescue coordination centre about the symptoms and advise you on the suspicion of a stroke. Sufferers are in a potentially life-threatening situation and require immediate medical treatment. Rapid Action of the brain can be cells from dying preserved – and therefore, every Minute counts. In case of unconsciousness bring you the Sufferers in the recovery position. Until the Arrival of the emergency doctor pulse and breathing must be monitored. Important: do not Give to drink, Sick or nothing to eat. Under these circumstances, the SIP may be disturbed reflex, therefore, a danger of suffocation.