Stroke this

Do you know that Stroke is the number 3 killer in Singapore?
The honour of Number 1 and 2 goes to cancer and heart disease (can't recall offhand which is 1st).

And how sure are you that you and and your close ones won't be part of the statistics? Knowing how much youngsters shun health seminars and forums. I thought it will be a great idea to share it on a lighter side, via the blog.

The Cause
Stroke is a type of cardiovascular disease, which occurs when a blood vessel that leads up to the brain is clot (aka Ischemic stroke) or burst (aka Hemorrhagic stroke). The former accounts for most of the stroke cases. Anyway, whichever the cause, part of the brain is unable to get the oxygen and nutrients (delivered via the blood) needed to keep it going. And it dies. And stroke comes next.

The Effects
The brain is a very chim organ that controls your body parts. And when parts of this control centre malfunction, the part of the body it controls will no longer work.
Left brain affects right side of body, speech, some form of retardness and memory loss.
Right Brain affects left side of body, vision and memory loss.
Either way, stroke sucks big time.

Prevention
Knowing the causes is a good way to start your prevention from today. Everyone knows what are the junk food that cause the thickening of blood arteries. The good thing is that if you choose not to be the kind of people who live day by day, you can actually drastically reduce the chances of getting it.

Some random statistics I got from the Singapore Medical Journal.
(1) Most people who kenna belong to 51-60 years of age. You will get to this age range someday, sooner than you expect.
(2) Every race has a good chance to get it, though Indians appear to have double the chances.
(3) Males are more likely to get it.
(4) People with hypertension were most likely to get it, followed by smokers and those with diabetes. Diabetes in fact, give rise to plenty of diseases.

There is this common saying among Singaporeans that this is a country where "you can afford to die but not afford to get sick". Just because the Government is trying to make healthcare affordable for the poor, and having those Medisave schemes does not guarantee that your fortune will be intact after paying the astronomical medical bills.

Stroke are a liability to the people around the sufferers. Besides financial pain, they also bring emotional pain to those who care and love them. A stroke victim is one who is soul drained. He thinks, but he may not get the chance to express them.

Don't be a liability to others because of your failure to prevent them. Watch your diet and think twice.

As my trademark saying goes..
You may not remember what you had for lunch last Friday, but your body remembers, for life.

Its too late to say sorry when you lose the chance to say it.

About the Author: Shingo T feels pain for the family members of stroke patients, but not the stroke patients.