SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Traditionally, strokes were considered a condition primarily affecting older adults. But in recent years, doctors have noticed a disturbing trend – the rise of stroke cases among younger adults, a demographic that was once considered low-risk. Stroke patients
There are plenty of health problems that young adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s have to watch out for, but until recently, a stroke wasn’t one of them. However, new data reveals an increase in the number of young adults facing an unexpected battle with strokes.
Experts point to poor lifestyle choices as the main risk factors. Smoking, unhealthy diets, lack of exercise, and increased stress have played a role because they lead to problems like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity. But one risk factor most people don’t consider has to do with chiropractic adjustments. Doctors say forceful and rapid neck rotations during these procedures can potentially cause damage to the vertebral arteries supplying blood to the brain stem.
“We see five, if it’s a bad year eight or ten a year per hospital, and some of them can be quite devastating because the brain stem and cerebellum are in an enclosed compartment and there’s only so much room,” explains Neurohospitalist at McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah, Melissa McDonald, MD.
Stroke symptoms in young adults are similar to those seen in older adults: weakness, or numbness in the face, arm, or leg, sudden change in speech, difficulty walking or keeping your balance, and sudden severe headaches and change in vision. Any of these symptoms require immediate medical attention, but doctors say younger adults tend to wait longer than older adults to go to the ER.
Dr. McDonald says younger adults face an increased risk of complications from brain swelling following a stroke due to the relatively larger size of their brains within the skull compared to older individuals.
Contributors to this news report include: Jessica Sanchez, Producer; Kirk Manson, Videographer; Roque Correa, Editor.
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Source:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8315351/
MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
RESEARCH SUMMARY
TOPIC: YOUNG ADULT STROKE PATIENTS
REPORT: MB #5298
BACKGROUND: A stroke is an occasion where blood stops flowing to the brain, preventing your organs from getting oxygen and nutrition. According to the CDC, someone has a stroke every 40 seconds in the United States, and every three minutes, someone dies from a stroke. Almost 800,000 people have strokes annually. The risk of stroke increases with age, but young adults are also susceptible to strokes – in fact, 38 percent of stroke-related hospitalizations were people under the age of 65.
(Sources: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stroke/symptoms-causes/syc-20350113
https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/facts.htm)
DIAGNOSING: The telltale signs and symptoms of a stroke are: trouble speaking and comprehending, paralysis or numbness in the face and limbs, vision problems, headache, and/or trouble walking. There is a powerful saying that could save your life – FAST. F, face drooping. A – arm weakness. S – slurred speech, and T – time to call for help. Doctors have to work quickly to treat stroke patients, but they can quickly diagnose a stroke with a physical exam, blood tests, CT scans, MRIs, carotid ultrasounds, cerebral angiograms, and/or with echocardiograms.
(Sources: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stroke/symptoms-causes/syc-20350113
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stroke/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350119)
NEW TECHNOLOGY: Stroke patients are getting younger and younger by the year. According to Melissa McDonald, MD, neurohospitalist at the McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah, this is a direct result of younger people practicing bad habits and having unhealthy lifestyles. For example, smoking, increase stress, lack of exercise, and unhealthy diets can increase your blood pressure and cholesterol levels and put you at risk for obesity. Chiropractic adjustments can also increase younger people’s risk of stroke because quick joint, neck, and back rotations can cause damage to the arteries closest to your brain. Stem cell-based therapy is a way to treat younger stroke patients, according to Dr. McDonald.
(Sources: Melissa McDonald, MD, Neurohospitalist, McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah
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Claudia Chinn
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