Chennai: Stressful lifestyle and lack of awareness for prevention among people are the main reason for surge in stroke cases across India, said consultant interventional neurologist, Apollo Hospitals OMR, Dr S Karthikeyan.
Addressing mediapersons here Thursday, he said, “Heart attack occurs when blood supply is cut off. Likewise, a stroke happens when blood to the brain is cut off. People should be aware of the symptoms. It is extremely essential to admit a person immediately within four hours when the person is affected by stroke.”
About common symptoms, Dr Karthikeyan said, “People suffer imbalance while walking, slurred speech, uneven faces, arms hanging down or poor eye vision.”
With regard to the number of strokes cases and people affected, he said, “Over 17 million get affected by strokes in India every year and it is the second leading cause for death.”
“Stroke here is higher than in western countries. In Chennai, over 8,000 cases are reported while in Tamilnadu there are over one lakh cases,” he said.
The press meet also saw the participation of stroke patients who got treated. “I was admitted within two hours and within a week, I started walking,” said one of the patients.