The increase in the number of stroke patients is directly related to the increase in the incidence among young people. In the world, this pathology affects up to 6 million people annually, more than 1/4 of all cases end in death. Stroke in young age ceased to be rare. The disease is one of the main causes of death and disability.

What is a stroke

Acute circulatory failure in the brain is referred to as a stroke. It is of two types:

• Ischemic - due to obstruction of the bloodstream.
• Hemorrhagic - is a consequence of rupture of the vessel, followed by hemorrhage.

Both conditions have similar symptoms, but their treatment is completely different. That is why differential diagnosis is so important.

Ischemic

The cause of ischemic stroke is a violation of the blood circulation of the brain. It occurs due to damage to its tissues due to restriction or lack of blood supply. At a young age, cerebrovascular accident occurs due to arterial thrombosis, cardiac embolism, often in the absence of atherosclerosis and hypertension, against the background of changes in blood properties.

Symptoms in young people develop gradually - vital functions are preserved, the person is conscious, speech may be difficult. An ischemic attack often occurs in the morning, after sleep.

Hemorrhagic

It is diagnosed three times less often, but the hemorrhagic type of stroke is considered more dangerous. The condition is accompanied by a rupture of a blood vessel and the ingress of blood into the brain tissue. Even damage to a small capillary leads to hemorrhagic stroke at a young age, while rupture of a large vessel has irreversible consequences.

The main cause of hemorrhagic stroke in young people is arterial hypertension and ruptured aneurysms.

Such an attack often occurs during the day, at the peak of physical and emotional activity, with stress. Often there is pain, as from a blow to the head, vomiting, a red veil before the eyes, fainting. Mortality in this condition is very high.

At what age does a stroke occur?

According to international epidemiological studies in the world, up to 4.7 million people die annually from acute cerebrovascular accident (ACC). The frequency of its occurrence at a young age - up to 24 years old is 20.5 cases per 100 thousand people per year, and at the age of 35-44 years this figure reaches 22.9 cases per 100 thousand people.

Causes of stroke at an early age

CVA has no age restrictions, this diagnosis is made even in childhood and adolescence.

Almost a third of all cases of the disease occur in the period of life from 15 to 45 years.

Wherein percentage women and men 39/25. Stroke in early age determined by the following reasons, not dependent on gender:

• Violations of the vascular system. These include: atherosclerotic lesions of intracranial vessels, hypertension. The latter is considered main reason occurrence of stroke at a young age.
• Congenital malformations of the heart valves, heart disease with rhythm disturbance.
• Decrease or increase in blood clotting, which may cause thrombosis or bleeding.
• Destruction of the walls of blood vessels infectious pathologies, diabetes mellitus.
• Injuries and anomalies of the carotid artery.
• Regular intake of hormonal medicines. Hormone imbalance can affect chemical composition blood.
• Oncological pathologies, neoplasms of the vessels of the heart, brain.
• genetic predisposition or burdened family history (heredity). It's about about the features of metabolism or the structure of the vascular system.
• Physical inactivity.
• Excessive consumption of alcohol, stimulants, smoking. A stroke at the age of 30 in every 10th case occurs due to the abuse of alcohol, drugs and tobacco products.
• Obesity. It increases the load on the blood vessels and the human heart, triggering a chain of neurochemical reactions that lead to a stroke.

Why young women have strokes

There are a number of factors, exclusively female, that are the main reasons for the gender gap in relation to this condition. These include:

• early puberty (menarche) up to 10 years;
• early onset of menopause (up to 45 years);
• low level the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA);
• use of contraceptives;
• oral estrogen;
• postpartum complications (preeclampsia, postpartum hypertension).
• the prevalence of smoking among the fairer sex. Women's smoking increases the risk of stroke by 60% (in men - by 40%)

Risk factors for young men

Allocate the following reasons stroke in young men:

• smoking;
• overuse alcohol (more than 60 ml per day, alcoholic binges);
• features of working conditions (heavy, hazardous production)
• contemptuous attitude towards own health– abdominal obesity, low physical activity, ignoring somatic diseases.

Signs of a stroke in young people

In young and old age, the symptoms of a stroke are practically the same. You can identify the disease in young people by the following manifestations:

• reduced sensitivity, numbness of the limb (arms, legs);
• impaired coordination of movements;
• headache as from a blow, feeling of a rush of blood to the head;
• blurred vision, seeing objects under a red "veil", feeling "porridge in the mouth";
• change or lack of speech, misunderstanding of the words of another person.

The pathological process in young people takes place against the background of a clear consciousness, tissue damage is slower. Atypical signs are: chest pain, hiccups, nausea, vomiting. These symptoms are more common in affected women. recognize acute insufficiency blood circulation in the brain will help the test "USP". To do this, ask the person:

1. U - smile. Lip movements are asymmetrical, facial expressions are one-sided.
2. Z - speak. It is difficult for the victim to pronounce simple sentences.
3. P - raise both hands. During the execution of such actions there will be no synchrony, one of the hands will lag behind due to weakness.

The appearance of such symptoms is a reason for an urgent emergency call and emergency hospitalization. It is important to contact specialists during the “therapeutic window”. This is such a period of time (2-6 hours), during which, with adequate therapy, the degree of brain damage decreases and there is a chance to avoid possible complications.

Harbingers of pathology

A pre-stroke state is a transient disorder of cerebral circulation, which patients often do not pay attention to. Signaling an impending attack can:

• irresistible fatigue, craving for sleep;
• causeless excitement, irritability, depressed mood;
• lethargy, weakness;
• dizziness;
• memory impairment;
• fever, headache;
• difficulty in the act of swallowing (lump in the throat);
• narrowing of the visual fields, double vision;
• numbness of the limb, part of the face, convulsions.

The state of a stroke in any of its forms is always a state of a somato-neurological problem. Moreover, all of the above applies not only to stroke conditions that develop in adulthood or old age. First of all, such a description can be attributed to stroke conditions that occur at a fairly young or even young age (namely, according to the classification World Organization Health care patients aged fifteen to forty-five).

apoplexy

A stroke occurring at any age is acute form pathological disorders of cerebral circulation, accompanied by the death of brain tissue cells and the corresponding functional disorders corresponding to specific symptoms of the disease. Developing, as in 20, so in 30 or 45 years (sometimes at a younger age), a stroke can be ischemic or hemorrhagic.

Further, we would like to present statistical data on the development of stroke pathology in men and women depending on the age of patients. The diagram below clearly shows that a stroke, which does not rarely affect people in their twenties or thirties, does not spare anyone, although it occurs much more often in older patients.

The development of brain stroke in patients of different ages

Various types of ischemic stroke that overtake patients at a fairly young age (20-30 years) are distinguished by their etiological heterogeneity. What causes a stroke at the age of 25, why does it happen that apparently healthy boys and girls face a state of ischemic stroke? The reasons that can cause this form of the disease at such a young age are:

• Latent vascular diseases that are not always detected in a timely manner.
• In the possible development of cardiogenic embolism.
• Hematological disorders not detected in a timely manner.
• Frequent abuse by patients of medications, say, the same oral contraceptives, which girls 20-30 years old prefer to use.
• migraine development, etc.

The reasons why young patients may develop hemorrhagic stroke are in the development of:

• arterial hypertension.
• Possibly an aneurysm.
• Sometimes hemangiomas.
• The onset of atherosclerosis at a young age.
• Such diseases as hemophilia, systemic lupus erythematosus, eclampsia, hemorrhagic vasculitis, venous thrombosis, Werlhof's disease.
• When young people have a tendency to abuse hard drugs, such as cocaine.

As a result, a hemorrhagic stroke that occurs at a young age (in patients aged 20-30 years) is manifested by the development of subarachnoid, parenchymal, or intraventricular hemorrhage of different power.

The first signs and subsequent symptoms of this condition in patients 20-30 years old do not differ too much from the manifestations of a stroke in an older group of people.

How different are the causes of stroke in younger patients?

Traditionally (both in young people, aged 20-30 years, and older people over 50 years old), the causes of stroke can be concluded in diseases familiar to many. Asking the question of what usually causes a stroke, many without the help of doctors will answer - from long-term progressive atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension, from heart rhythm disturbances, etc.

Hemorrhage due to stroke

In addition, many without the help of specialists will notice that the first risk factors for developing a brain stroke are long-term smoking, a pathological tendency to constantly use alcohol or drugs. However, not many people know that today there are other causes of stroke, which often undermine very young and even physically strong (relatively healthy) people of 20-30 years old.

So, the most common reasons why cerebral hemorrhage (hemorrhagic stroke) can occur in patients 20-30 years old is the congenital nature of changes in the vascular system of the brain. These are conditions in which so-called aneurysms are formed - strictly specific sac-like protrusions of the walls of vital intracerebral arteries.

A little less often, but also specific malformations of the arteriovenous type occur, when a fairly slender (physiologically correct) series of separation and branching of vessels of different orders is simply lost. As a result, the substance of the brain nourishes a whole conglomerate of vessels, among which there may be some intricate tangles of physiologically defective, structureless vessels.

As a rule, the walls of aneurysms or those vessels that are prone to arteriovenous malformation are considered to be quite thin and brittle, and physiologically normal rise pressure (possible under stress, strong positive emotions, during physical exertion) in this case, it can lead to rupture of those, to hemorrhage into the substance of the brain or under its membranes.

Note that such congenital anomalies are the main reasons why patients 20-30 years old have a stroke.

In particular, if such anomalies were not noticed in a timely manner by doctors, were not corrected, and the patient, considering himself absolutely healthy, received increased loads.

What is the difficulty in preventing stroke in young patients?

Unfortunately, as most specialists report, congenital aneurysms, as well as malformations of the cerebral arteries long years are able to proceed completely asymptomatically, without disturbing patients. Symptoms and signs of such formidable anomalies, which can lead to the development of a stroke in 20-30 years, can only occasionally manifest themselves in the form of episodic headaches. Sometimes the symptoms of these anomalies may include the periodic occurrence of tinnitus, pulsations in the veins of the head and neck, which, in fact, may alert an experienced neurologist.

Supervision and examination by a specialist

But still, the treatment of a patient with such problems becomes possible only when the person himself can realize that similar symptoms or signs of an ailment incomprehensible to him, require the advice of an experienced specialist. Unfortunately, as a rule, reaching 20 or even 30 summer age, no one thinks that such symptoms may indicate the development of a serious pathology. Moreover, few people understand that this may be the primary signs of a possible imminent development of a stroke.

Most of us can take such alarm signals(capable of provoking a stroke) for banal fatigue, after a hard day's work, or for general malaise associated with, say, a cold. Nevertheless, we emphasize that if you notice similar symptoms in yourself or your relatives of a young age, do not be lazy to contact a neurologist - perhaps the described symptoms will indeed be only your invention, and perhaps this is how you save your life.

I must say that today, there are many methods of high-quality instrumental diagnostics (we are talking primarily about computer x-ray or magnetic resonance imaging), which allow us to confirm or refute the fears that arise when such symptoms appear with the highest degree of accuracy.

Stroke: causes, symptoms, signs, first aid, prevention

80 percent of patients who have had a stroke become disabled, of which a third needs outside help. Only 20 percent can return to former life. What causes a person to have a stroke? Is it possible to avoid this formidable disease? Says chief neurologist of the Health and Drug Administration Agency Krasnoyarsk Territory MD Professor Svetlana Shetekaura.

A stroke is an acute violation of cerebral circulation, which is based on disorders of the vascular system of the brain. This may be a rupture, spasm, or blockage of one of the vessels that supply blood to a part of the brain.

Hemorrhagic - (hemorrhage) - when a vessel ruptures and blood enters the cranial cavity. They account for 15-20 percent of all strokes. In young people (20-30 years old), hemorrhagic stroke often occurs as a result of a rupture of a brain vessel with a congenital anomaly, when the vessel was not properly formed in the womb (the so-called aneurysm). With excessive physical activity, severe stress, even with a sharp inclination, such a vessel can burst. At an older age, a vessel in the brain can burst, unable to withstand high blood pressure (BP) - a hypertensive crisis. Hemorrhagic strokes are the most severe and have a high mortality rate.

The rest of the strokes are ischemic, caused by insufficient blood supply to the brain as a result of vascular spasm or blockage of the vessel by a thrombus. The integrity of the vascular wall in this type of stroke is preserved, but the blood flow is reduced due to a decrease in its lumen. More often this happens with atherosclerosis, when the elasticity of the vessel wall is broken by fatty deposits - atherosclerotic plaques. They increase in size and close the lumen of the vessel. Or on their damaged surface, blood clots form, which close the lumen of the vessel. Ischemic strokes develop more often after 40-50 years.

Two diseases most often lead to strokes - hypertension and atherosclerosis. Hypertension is dangerous because in half of the cases this disease is asymptomatic, that is, a person does not feel his high pressure, is not treated, and a stroke for him is like a bolt from the blue. Atherosclerosis is the main cause of stroke in the elderly. In addition to these diseases, at risk for strokes are people suffering from diabetes, obesity, with increased blood clotting - they usually have a tendency to thrombosis. Smokers are at great risk - obliteration (narrowing of the lumen) of blood vessels in them goes not only in the legs, but also in the brain. Those who abuse alcohol are also at risk. It is abused, since small doses of alcohol do not lead to strokes. Has the meaning hereditary factor More often strokes occur in those whose close relatives have had a stroke or heart attack. Particular care must be taken by those who often experience stressful situations, which, as a rule, are accompanied by a sharp rise in blood pressure, and the state of the vessels at this moment is unknown to the person - the vessel may not withstand stress.

Strokes develop equally in both men and women. In the age group under 60 years of age, strokes occur twice as often in men, after 60 years - more often in women.

Often, before the patient develops a stroke, there may be signs of a transient cerebrovascular accident. You should pay attention to them.

The first signs are harbingers of a stroke:

- sudden, unexplained severe headache;

- dizziness, loss of balance or coordination;

- sudden weakness or numbness of any part of the body: face, tongue, trunk, arms or legs, especially if it is on one side of the body;

- sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes;

- impaired consciousness, orientation in environment;

- speech disorders.

These sensations come on suddenly and disappear after a few minutes or hours. In 30 percent of patients with such short-term ischemic attacks, a stroke of varying severity develops within a year. Therefore, you should not wait for it to “pass by itself”, you must immediately call an ambulance.

At the first sign of a stroke before the arrival of the ambulance, you need to;

- calm the patient, lay him down and insist on rest;

- measure blood pressure, if it is high and the patient knows about his hypertension, immediately take the drug that he usually takes with high blood pressure;

- improve air flow: remove the patient from a stuffy, especially smoky, room, open a window, unbutton the collar, that is, create conditions for a greater supply of oxygen.

It is forbidden!

Move fast, get up. Under such conditions, a person experiences psychomotor arousal, when the patient begins to actively move, this can sharply worsen his condition.

With high blood pressure, in no case should you strive to sharply reduce blood pressure. Optimum-decrease in blood pressure by 15-20 percent of the original.

Take antispasmodics: noshpu, papaverine and others.

Called " Ambulance” (as a rule, this is a specialized stroke team) will take the patient to the hospital.

Ambulance teams have in their arsenal the equipment and necessary medications to assist the patient before arriving at the hospital. The main thing is the speedy hospitalization to the hospital, where they will immediately appoint necessary treatment. Experts have a concept - a "therapeutic window", when within 3-6 hours after a stroke, it is necessary to begin complex intensive treatment, until the brain tissue that remains without blood supply during a stroke has died.

By severity, strokes are divided into mild, moderate and severe. Mild stroke is cured within three weeks intensive care and ends happily for the patient: impaired functions are restored, no paralysis or speech disorders remain. The statistics of more severe strokes is pessimistic: every fifth patient dies, 80 percent remain profoundly disabled. Treat severe stroke this stage development of medicine is impossible, so prevention of stroke is more important than treatment.

National stroke prevention measures include active medical examination of patients with diseases leading to stroke. Such patients should be under the constant supervision of doctors so that doctors can actively treat their disease, individually selecting treatment.

But great importance They also have personal protective equipment.

Know your blood pressure. If you are healthy, measure it at least once a year. If you suffer from diseases at risk, especially hypertension, you should have a device for measuring blood pressure at home.

Control your weight. Be sure to consult with your doctor about how you personally deal with excess weight. Strive for a balanced diet with limited animal fats, salt and sugar, with a predominance of fruits, vegetables, lactic acid products. For hypertensive patients, it is necessary to learn in detail and use a salt-free diet, for patients with atherosclerosis - hypocholesterol.

If you have diabetes, strictly follow your doctor's recommendations for blood glucose control.

If you smoke, stop. Smoking doubles the risk of stroke.

To prevent a recurrent stroke from the first days of a stroke that has already occurred, a number of measures are taken. This:

intensive treatment of diseases that led to a stroke;

taking anticoagulants with increased blood viscosity, when there is a high risk of thrombosis: taking aspirin or aspirin-containing drugs (cardiomagnyl) that do not act on the gastric mucosa;

taking drugs that improve cerebral circulation. These drugs are taken in courses in the future. In the first year after a stroke - necessarily twice a year, in the future - for health reasons, once or twice a year.

The material was prepared by Nadezhda Frolova

Denis Pavlov: “Bad habits and overload can cause a stroke even at 20 years old”

Stroke can be called the "plague of the 21st century": every year it happens to six million people on the planet.

In Russia, a stroke affects almost half a million people a year and is in second place in terms of the number of deaths - about one in three dies.

Despite the scale of the disaster, only a few people still think about the disease before it occurs. And in vain - after all, a stroke can be prevented. And if it happened, then with skillful rehabilitation, you can return to normal life.

Assistance in the rehabilitation of people who have had a stroke, a graduate of the faculty of adaptive physical education Denis Petrov has been studying since 2010.

What types of strokes are there?

Stroke can be ischemic or hemorrhagic. Recovery is possible after any type of stroke. At hemorrhagic stroke, which is also called a cerebral infarction, a hemorrhage occurs in the brain, its different parts are affected. Ischemic stroke is the blockage of blood vessels by a blood clot.

- After what stroke is possible the maximum and fast recovery human?

- After an ischemic stroke, recovery is faster. Whether a person will be able to recover after a hemorrhagic stroke depends on the size of the brain lesion and on how correctly the person and the people around him behave in the first hours after its onset, how quickly they begin rehabilitation.

- Is it possible to find out about an impending stroke and are there ways to prevent this disease in principle?

- Of course, you can, despite the fact that the disease is always unexpected. An increase in pressure, partial numbness - cheeks, arms, legs, loss of sensitivity may indicate its approach. different sites body, loss of fields of peripheral vision, violation of the symmetry of the nasolabial triangle. Such conditions can occur unexpectedly and last for several minutes, and then pass by themselves. Do not underestimate the situation - these signs may indicate a transient ischemic attack, after which a full-fledged stroke can develop within a day, therefore, hospitalization should in no case be refused. Often, simple blood thinners can save a person. If you simply remember to control your blood pressure, as well as check your cholesterol and blood sugar levels once a year, you can already reduce the risk of a sudden stroke.

– What provokes a stroke, what are the main factors?

– High loads and overvoltage, due to which pressure surges occur – the most common cause. This includes smoking, alcohol, and stimulants. Heredity in this case is very important - if one of the relatives had a stroke, then the risk is high.

- And if a stroke happened after all, what to do?

- In no case do not get up, call an ambulance. Within four hours after the onset of hemorrhage, there is a chance to prevent the lesion from reaching its maximum. This is the so-called therapeutic period.

- They say that a stroke is not so terrible as its consequences. Is there a chance after that to become a full-fledged person again?

- Rehabilitation helps in any case, it all depends on the size of the brain lesion and the amount of time that has passed since the stroke. It is best to start recovery immediately, the next day, gradually - you can not give the body and muscles the opportunity to forget their normal state and habitual movements, including being horizontal in space. But people don't always understand this. If it didn’t work out right away, then within a year recovery with the return of all skills is possible. After a year, it is only possible for a person to adapt to life in an already current state. And even the coolest specialist will not undertake the rehabilitation of a person who had a stroke two years or more ago.

— What mistakes in rehabilitation are most often made by stroke survivors and their families?

- The mistake is that many underestimate the importance of rehabilitation. Recovery after a hemorrhagic stroke should begin immediately. You can deal with the patient on your own and follow the advice from the Internet, but in this case, no one guarantees that you will not harm the person.

At what age should you be afraid of a stroke?

- Today - in any. As a rule, a stroke is most likely after the age of 40, but in my practice there were 20-year-old patients who had it. Stroke "gets younger", which is facilitated by the peculiarities of ecology and nutrition - the use of salty, fatty foods, smoked meats, the use of alcoholic beverages, especially low-alcohol ones, and energy drinks. Exhaustion - physical and emotional - can trigger a stroke at any age.

Photo from personal archive Denis Pavlov

A stroke is a clinical syndrome that occurs as a result of a violation of the blood supply to the brain, leading to the death of nerve cells and disorders in the functioning of the body. IN Lately It is not uncommon to have a stroke at a young age, which often develops against the background of wrong attitude to health. Moreover, this disease is often found in people who do not have chronic diseases. In our article, we will analyze the causes of stroke, its symptoms and prevention.

Causal factors

The reasons leading to the development of a stroke at the age of 20-30 years are:

Etiology of female and male stroke

The causes of stroke in men and women are different. In women, this disease is most often associated with hormonal changes, and in men, with occupational risks and bad habits.

Provoking factors affecting the female body

The main causes of cerebrovascular accident in women are:

Moreover, a stroke in women rarely occurs at the age of 20, here the defenders of the body play a big role - estrogens. Most often it occurs at an older age. But they have more serious consequences: Severe disability and death often occur. Cerebral hemorrhage in women is more difficult to diagnose than in men.

Signs of the onset of the disease in women

The insidiousness of cerebral hemorrhage in women is that they have rather atypical manifestations that seem to be completely unrelated to a stroke. In the weaker sex, the first signs can be combined with nausea, weakness, hiccups, loss of consciousness, shortness of breath.

Before the syndrome of cerebrovascular accident gains strength, the first bells appear in women in the form of a headache, impaired speech, vision, numbness, lack of pupillary reaction to light.

The patient has a violation of coordination, during which the muscle tone is weakened, the strength in the limbs decreases, and falls are not uncommon.

Factors affecting male stroke

The main causes of cerebrovascular accident in men are:

Stroke in men occurs at a younger age. According to statistics, at the age of 20-30 years, 40% of men are affected by this serious disease. However, the disease has standard signs and is diagnosed more easily and faster than in women. Accordingly, in the male, the recovery period is not delayed.

Signs of the onset of the disease in men

In the male population, atypical signs of the onset of the disease appear only in 30% of cases, otherwise they have classic symptoms, among which there are various mental disorders, impaired perception, headache, darkening in the eyes.

The role of antiphospholipid syndrome in the onset of an attack

Antiphospholipid syndrome is a newly discovered disease known to cause stroke in the young population in their 20s and 30s. The first signs of the disease appear in the form of vascular patterns on the thighs, hands, and lower leg.

Antiphospholipid syndrome causes sudden deterioration of vision, non-healing ulcers, gangrene of the lower extremities.

Scientists have found that this syndrome often occurs in 20-30 years, and in 20% of cases, miscarriage occurs due to this disease. In addition to brain disorders, antiphospholipid syndrome leads to kidney failure, blindness, spontaneous abortions and a number of other severe pathologies.

Causes of Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Often, antiphospholipid syndrome occurs in patients with a genetic predisposition to this disease, but there are other reasons for the development of this disease, these include:

Antiphospholipid syndrome leads to blood clotting disorders and, as a result, to the appearance of thrombosis, provoking the development of a stroke in young people not older than 20-30 years.

For what signs should you call a doctor?

4 main signs of a stroke. First signs brain disorder in young people 20-30 years old:

Also, others should pay attention to the eyes, which will also help determine the initial signs of the disease.

6 eye signs stroke:

First aid

It is necessary to pull yourself together, try to calmly, without panic, provide first aid to the patient, which is important for the future quality of life and is as follows:

The sooner the environment pays attention to early signs stroke, the sooner he receives specialized medical care, the more chances the patient will have for further recovery and restoration of the previous lifestyle.

Preventive actions

Every person, even a young person, a little over 20 years old, should know that the prevention of this disease is needed, first of all, by himself. Stroke prevention includes a set of the following activities:

Oddly enough, but lately fast rejuvenation stroke. This is directly related to the modern rhythm of life. It is prevention and timely detected signs of the disease that can not only save people's lives, but also reduce the number of post-stroke consequences.

Acute violation of cerebral hemodynamics in young people occurs against the background of vascular diseases, congenital or acquired anomalies of their structure, inflammation, in violation of the blood composition. Hemorrhagic strokes predominate in this age group.

The manifestations of the disease are sudden, often fatal. With early diagnosis and complex treatment partial or complete (less often) recovery occurs motor functions, speech, ability to mental work.

Read in this article

Why stroke occurs in young people

There is a difference between the risk factors for stroke in older and younger people. If after 50 years the maximum number of brain accidents causes, then up to this age congenital anomalies and cardiological pathologies are in the lead.

hereditary causes

In the structure of the causes of acute cerebrovascular accident in young patients, more than half is due to hemorrhage. It is most often associated with an anomaly in the structure of blood vessels - an aneurysm of an artery or an arteriovenous malformation.

The walls of these formations are thin and brittle, therefore, with an increase in pressure due to a stressful situation, physical or intense mental load vessel breaks. Hereditary defects in the blood coagulation system also lead to hemorrhages, the formation of hematomas inside the skull.

Aortic aneurysm is a common cause of stroke in young people

Approximately 45% of strokes are ischemic. Blockage occurs when a blood clot breaks off from the venous system of the extremities in the presence of such congenital defects as an atrial septal aneurysm. One of the causes of early strokes may be associated with type 1 diabetes mellitus, which is suffered from birth.

Lifestyle as a risk factor

The risk of ischemia and cerebral hemorrhage increases in the following contingent of individuals:

• smokers;
• taking narcotic drugs;
• drug addicts;
• abusing alcoholic beverages;
• predominate in the diet fatty foods animal origin and sweetness with a deficiency of dietary fiber;
• overweight, especially with a concomitant violation of carbohydrate metabolism;
• taking birth control pills;
• systematically violating the regime of the day (night shifts);
• experiencing frequent psycho-emotional overload.

At the same time, unlike elderly patients, such disorders do not so much provoke deposits in the arteries, but more affect blood density and vascular spasm.

Other factors

Hemorrhagic

It can be in the form of a hemorrhage from a rupture of an artery of various localization. Depending on this, it is found in the following varieties:

• parenchymal (in the brain tissue);
• subarachnoid (subarachnoid space);
• ventricular (in the ventricles of the brain);
• mixed (affects 2 or more structures).

The most severe type of hemorrhage is a breakthrough of blood into the ventricles of the brain.

Watch the video about the causes of stroke in young people:

Symptoms in women and men

Since the most common cause of stroke in young people is a rupture of an artery in the brain, it is unforeseen. There is an acute headache, accompanied by an attack of vomiting, dizziness, rapid loss of consciousness, or coma, convulsive syndrome. Cerebral signs depend on the degree of compression of the brain by a hematoma and the shift of the stem part to the region of the foramen magnum.

A large accumulation of blood or its passage into the ventricles of the brain proceeds with a severe violation of all vital functions, an increase, depression of consciousness, muscle spasm and convulsions of all limbs (hormetonia).

Focal neurological symptoms include:

• memory loss;
• speech disorder;
• difficulty in swallowing;
• loss of visual fields, flashes of light, visual hallucinations;
• paralysis or paresis of the limbs;
• changes in sensitivity and tendon reflexes;
• distortion of the face, when smiling or raising an eyebrow, the affected part is motionless;
• purposeful action is not possible.

In the first three weeks, cerebral symptoms come to the fore. The degree of dislocation (shift) of the brain due to its swelling determines the survival of patients at this stage. Often to heavy general condition exacerbations of existing diseases of the kidneys, liver, decompensation of diabetes mellitus join. Most deaths occur up to one month after the onset of the hemorrhage.

After the acute stage, focal signs associated with the localization of brain damage appear. With successful treatment, they can regress almost completely, to a more severe cases there is a persistent neurological defect that leads to disability.

Condition Diagnostics

Based on the examination of the patient, determination of muscle tone, skin sensitivity and neurological reflexes, in most cases it is possible to make a diagnosis.

To confirm it, the following methods are used:

• tomography in the mode or CT - determines the type, localization of the lesion, swelling of the brain tissue, displacement of structures, as well as the cause of the stroke - stenosis, blockage, rupture of the artery;
• spinal puncture (only after an ultrasound of the brain and the absence of its displacement) - with hemorrhage, the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid is increased, there is an admixture of blood, the protein content is increased;
• Ultrasound of the vessels of the neck and head shows arterial spasm, blocked vessel, bypass routes of blood flow;
• angiography is used before prescribing thrombolytics and detecting aneurysmal dilatations;
• a general clinical blood test (coagulogram, biochemistry, blood sugar), urinalysis, ECG help clarify the cause of a stroke.

Stroke treatment

At the first stage, they ensure the maintenance of basic vital signs in the conditions of intensive care units. For this, the following methods are used:

• restoration of breathing with the help of artificial lung ventilation;
• normalization of blood pressure and round-the-clock monitoring of its level;
• correction of the electrolyte composition of the blood, alkaline reaction, glycemia;
• decrease in cerebral edema - Mannitol, Prednisolone, hyperventilation or artificial coma with barbiturates, hypothermia of the brain;
• decompression - opening the skull and setting up drains;
• antipyretics to combat fever - Olfen, Metindol;
• anticonvulsants - Thiopental, Lorazepam;
• antiemetic - Cerucal;
• to reduce arousal - Haloperidol, magnesium;
• neuroprotectors - Somazina, Thiotriazolin, Glycine.

IN early dates removal of the hematoma may be indicated. It should be borne in mind that surgical treatment is not always effective, since the risk of damage to neighboring areas of the brain and increased bleeding increases.

To stop the blood, various hemostatics are used: Dicinon, Aminocaproic acid, Tranexam. At the stage of rehabilitation, non-drug methods of treatment are used:

In the recovery period, there is a slow normalization of motor functions and sensitivity. At the same time, the greatest results can be achieved only in the first 3-4 months. As a rule, after this time, all violations remain for a long time. In a year, only speech function can improve. Approximately 65% ​​of young patients become disabled after a stroke.

Prevention

To prevent disturbance of cerebral blood flow, it is required early diagnosis and therapy of metabolic disorders, cerebrovascular diseases, especially in congenital pathology.

Any persistent headache cannot be ignored, as it is required to establish its cause in time. Even young people without clinical manifestations are recommended to undergo a comprehensive cardiological and neurological examination at least once every 5 years. In the presence of vascular pathology in close relatives, this period is reduced to 1 year.

Preventive measures include:

• rejection bad habits;
• with the minimization of animal fats, simple carbohydrates, with sufficient content of fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and whole grains, the beneficial role of the Mediterranean diet has been proven;
• combating stress - developing the right reaction to traumatic situations (including psychotherapeutic sessions), normalizing sleep;
• weight loss in obesity;
• adequate treatment of diseases of the heart, blood;
• surgical ways to restore blood flow - the imposition of anastomoses, removal of aneurysms and malformations.

The development of stroke at a young age is more often associated with bleeding from the damaged cerebral artery, blockage of its thrombus, as well as sustained spasm. Clinical manifestations develop acutely, they depend on the size and area of ​​the hematoma or ischemia. IN acute period cerebral symptoms predominate, with an unfavorable course, frequent deaths are noted.

The maximum recovery of motor functions and sensitivity occurs in the first months. At this stage, intensive treatment with medicines, the use of physiotherapy is indicated.

Read also

The main precursors of a stroke are quite pronounced. They differ in ischemic and hemorrhagic brain. It is important to notice the first signs in women and men in order to get help as soon as possible.

If there are prerequisites, then only drugs for the prevention of stroke will help to avoid a catastrophe. Primary and secondary prevention in men and women includes medicines for the treatment of precursor diseases, pills for bad habits, as well as drug therapy from recurrent hemorrhagic stroke.

If there was an ischemic stroke of the brain, the consequences remain quite severe. They differ depending on the affected area - the left and right sides, the brain stem. The symptoms of the consequences are pronounced, the treatment takes more than a year.

Basically, a complete recovery of speech after a stroke is possible in the first six months, if there were classes with a speech therapist, practical exercises at home, special medications. Young people are more likely to have a stroke. If struck Right side, both speech and memory suffer.

In the article, we will consider the causes of stroke at a young age.

Experts draw a pattern between age group patients and some diseases. It is generally accepted that strokes, heart attacks and other pathologies of the heart and blood vessels occur mainly in people older than middle age. This is explained by the fact that cells go through the aging process, like the vessels of the circulatory system.

Diseases are getting younger

However, some pathological processes have the property of "getting younger", that is, occurring at a younger age. This is also true for stroke. The disease provokes blockage of small ones, which causes severe brain damage and various health problems. We will understand the causes of stroke at a young age and its signs.

Varieties of strokes

According to statistics, men at a young age are less at risk of stroke than the fairer sex. In addition, women are much more difficult to tolerate pathology, among them a high percentage of mortality, and recovery period takes longer. Regardless of gender and age, stroke is divided into two types.

Ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke at a young age is most common, it is characterized by a violation of the process of blood circulation in the vessels, as well as their complete or partial blockage. The cause of obstruction can be an embolism, a blood clot, the presence of cholesterol plaques and some diseases associated with disruption of blood vessels, the heart, as well as oncological pathologies.

Hemorrhagic stroke

This type of pathology is less common than ischemic, but it is also more dangerous, as it is accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the vessel. In this case, we are talking about a rupture with further hemorrhage in the cavities of the brain, located on the outside. Even a single capillary rupture can be enough to cause a hemorrhagic stroke. If a larger vessel has undergone destruction, the consequences will be much more terrible and with a large number of complications. The most likely outcome for hemorrhagic stroke is death.

Causes of stroke in young people

The causes of stroke at a young age coincide with both hemorrhagic and ischemic types of pathology. Risk factors are similar to those that provoke stroke in the elderly, but there are also individual traits. The most common causes of stroke at a young age are:

1. genetic predisposition. In this case, the risk factor is due to the heredity of a person and does not depend on his age. If the patient's parents suffered from heart disease, the likelihood of developing is much higher. It is heredity that leads to the emergence of pathology at a young age.
2. health problems and various pathologies. A stroke may be preceded by disturbances in the functioning of the heart and valves, a decrease in vascular patency, and other diseases. Such pathologies lead to complications even at a young age.
3. Damage to the body caused by a serious infectious disease. There are pathologies that can reduce the elastic properties and patency of the arteries. In addition, such diseases lead to tissue destruction, which causes a stroke.
4. Regular intake of drugs based on hormones. Non-compliance with doctor's prescriptions for taking hormonal drugs, including contraceptives, leads young women to stroke. A significant violation of the hormonal balance in the body can change the very structure of the blood and provoke the formation of a blood clot. It is a very common cause of stroke in women at a young age.
5. Bad habits such as smoking or drinking alcohol. Absence healthy lifestyle life quite often leads to the development of a stroke at a young age. Approximately one in ten cases of all strokes between the ages of 20 and 30 are due to the abuse of alcohol and tobacco products.
6. Overweight. The problem of obesity is becoming more and more acute for many women. Big choice sugary carbonated drinks, the general availability and distribution of fast food and other products that provoke weight gain, become the cause of obesity. It is overweight that leads to an increase in cholesterol in the blood, as well as to an increased load on the heart and blood vessels. It is a common cause of stroke in men at a young age.
7. Trauma in the region of the carotid artery. It can also cause various pathological processes, including stroke.
8. Deviation from normal indicators blood clotting. Exceeding the INR norm provokes the formation of blood clots, and a decrease in this indicator can cause bleeding.

A stroke can be triggered by various factors, but most of them depend on the person himself.

Signs of a stroke at a young age

Diseases of the heart and blood vessels develop over time. In young people, this process can occur for several years, while passing in a latent form. There are a number of signs that women and men aged 20 to 40 should pay special attention to. In case of their detection, it is necessary to call an ambulance and wait for a qualified medical care. The main indicators of the development of a stroke are:

1. Sharp pain in the head, which can lead to impaired coordination, as well as fainting.
2. initial stage stroke may be accompanied in women by hiccups.
3. The appearance of convulsive syndrome in the limbs. In some cases, a sharp muscle spasm leads to injury and a fall. What other symptoms of stroke in young women are there?
4. Confusion of consciousness and dizziness. Quite often, a person with a beginning stroke ceases to adequately perceive the reality surrounding him. The patient may stop hearing some words and even expressions.
5. Forgetfulness. When an attack occurs suddenly, a person forgets why and where he went, cannot clearly explain the presence of any objects in his hands, etc., confusion arises. Signs of a stroke in young men should not be ignored.
6. Against the background of a stroke, nausea and vomiting occur, in some cases, tinnitus appears. Subject to the use of an excessive amount of alcoholic beverages, such a state is attributed to intoxication and the person is left without qualified help.
7. There are also visual signs of a stroke. Impaired blood circulation in the brain affects a person's facial expressions, he loses the ability to smile, and sometimes he cannot even close his eyelids.
8. Men at a young age may experience severe fatigue and weakness against the background of the development of a stroke. At the same time, the breakdown is accompanied by sharp mood swings, and sometimes it comes to loss of consciousness.
9. Often during a stroke, circulatory disorders cause numbness in the limbs, as well as hearing and vision loss.

When identifying the listed signs of a stroke at a young age, it is necessary to help the person and call the doctors.

First aid for stroke

stroke is severe pathological process, which can lead to many complications and consequences, which will depend on the quality and timeliness of medical care. To stop the attack, the patient is given special drugs. Before the doctors arrive, you need to help the patient yourself.

With a stroke, a person must be laid horizontally so that his legs are located above his head. In this case, a pillow should be placed under the head. If the patient is wearing tight clothes, you need to remove it or unfasten the buttons, loosen the tie, if any. The window in the room where the patient is located must be opened, which will ensure the flow fresh air, and the curtains, on the contrary, close. The patient needs to ensure peace and tranquility until the arrival of doctors.

Quite often, a person with a stroke overtakes a panic state and a feeling of fear. In this case, you need to try to calm the patient and lay him horizontally.

Hospitalization in case of suspected stroke

If a stroke is suspected, hospitalization and complete examination within medical institution. When the diagnosis is confirmed, treatment begins, which is selected individually for each patient. Therapeutic regimen depends on how strong the attack was, and how quickly qualified assistance was provided.

The recovery period for this pathology

With a favorable prognosis, the recovery period will last several months. Rehabilitation involves taking medication, following a therapeutic diet, and performing special exercises. With particularly extensive and severe lesions, full recovery may not be possible.

Sequelae of stroke at a young age

Why is a stroke dangerous?

Such a severe pathology as a stroke can lead to grave consequences. What they will be depends on the timeliness of the medical assistance provided to the victim.

Consider the consequences of a stroke in a woman at a young age.

Girls in their 20s and 30s recover faster and are less prone to strokes. But in the absence of help in the first hours after the attack, you can face a number of consequences:

• decreased visual acuity;
• temporary or partial loss of memory;
• paralysis of one part of the body;
• convulsions;
• loss of sensation;
• hearing loss.

Movement disorders can be overcome during the rehabilitation period, although loss of coordination of movements can be observed for another six months after a stroke.

Prevention of this dangerous pathology

Any disease, according to doctors, is easier to prevent than to treat. Stroke is no exception, so preventive measures play an important role. Statistics in medicine suggest that approximately 70% of people do not realize that they are developing a stroke, attributing the malaise to other diseases. If every person, starting from a young age, was attentive to his health, this would significantly reduce the number of strokes. Health is achieved through simple rules, providing for a balanced diet, the right lifestyle, suggesting the absence of bad habits, as well as moderate physical activity.

A stroke suffered at a young age causes irreparable harm to human health. In this case, the risk of recurrent stroke in adulthood also increases.

Basic rules to be followed

1. Balanced diet. Eating enough greens, fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry. Sugar, carcinogens and a large number of fats.
2. Physical exercise. To support the heart in a normal state, 3-4 sports per week are enough.
3. stressful situations. They should be avoided whenever possible.
4. The use of alcoholic beverages. It's about limiting the amount of alcohol you drink.

It is important to take care of your health even at a young age. You need to undergo regular medical examinations.

We looked at the main causes of cerebral stroke at a young age.