World Stroke Day Raises Awareness in the UAE

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• Spotting Signs Early Can Save a Life, says Dubai-based Specialist  

Stroke organisations throughout the world will join (on Wednesday October 29, 2008) to highlight the importance of recognising, treating and preventing strokes, and in particular ‘silent strokes’.
 
And to mark the occasion, German Centre for Neurology and Psychiatry (GNP), based at Dubai Healthcare City, is offering the chance to call and book in for free stroke check-ups for the entire day.
 
According to one of Germany’s top neurologists, raising awareness is even more important in the UAE, where stroke ranks second only to heart disease in the UAE as the biggest cause of death and is the most common cause of lifelong disability worldwide.
 
GNP’s Dr Arne Brosig stresses awareness created through World Stroke Day can be the difference between life and death. The World Stroke Day 2008 theme is `little strokes, big trouble‘. Silent stroke, is a brain injury likely caused by a blood clot interrupting blood flow in the brain. It is silent since it has no symptoms, but doctors can detect brain damage through brain imaging tests. Silent stroke is a risk factor for future strokes and a sign of progressive brain damage that may result in long term dementia.

 
Dr Brosig said: “Perhaps many wouldn’t consider this as the most important date on the global calendar. Strokes are thought of by many as a medical problem that only happens to people who are perhaps old, weak or living unhealthy lifestyles, but this is far from the case.
 
“A recent study discovered around ten per cent of the apparently healthy middle aged participants with no symptoms of stroke had been injured by silent strokes.
 
“Silent stroke is the most common type of stroke, which can occur five times as often as strokes and can affect thinking, mood, depression and personality.”

 
And, as Dr Brosig explains, knowing and spotting the signs early can save your own live or those of your friends and family.
 
"When a stroke occurs, no time should be lost in seeking medical treatment, as 2,000,000 nerve cells and 12 kilometres of nerve fibres die every minute. Where ageing, physical inactivity, smoking and poor nutrition may contribute to the growing worldwide problem, strokes can happen to absolutely anyone at any time.”
 
One of the reasons strokes can be difficult to identify, he explains, is that there is often little in the way of warning signs or consistency of symptoms. However, there are common signs to look out for.
 
"Stay alert to weakness on only one side of the body, usually the arm and leg and side of the face. Slurring of speech and blurred or double vision are other common indicators. Pain is not usually a symptom, so this can make identiying the symptoms a bit more tricky."

 
Dr Brosig added: “Another common cause of stroke, which can be treated, is an irregular heartbeat, which becomes common as you get older, so I would recommend anyone over 60 to have themselves checked at least yearly. But, to be on the safe side, this check is also recommended for anyone of any age who are under severe stress and may be unaware of their personal risk factors.
 
“In fact, a visit to our clinic can quickly address any concerns after a thorough examination, which covers all the potential risk factors and provides an individually tailored prevention plan.”
 
New understanding of the medical condition and developments in treatments can now reduce the likelihood of long-term brain damage once a stroke has happened. The key is acting fast and with confidence, as treatment should begin as quickly as possible.

This is why World Stroke Day exists, to raise awareness of the condition and educate the public that stroke is a medical emergency, every bit as serious and life-threatening as a heart attack. Indeed, experts want the condition to be renamed ‘brain attack‘ to reinforce the dangers.


The warning signs of an impending stroke tend to be discreet, disappear on their own, do not cause any pain, can be endured then forgotten. However, the consequences of a stroke can be cruel, lifelong, painful and impairing, leading to the loss of livelihood or family life, rendering life a misery, or causing immediate death.
 
Vladimir Hachinski, editor-in-chief of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association said: “If nothing is done, the predicted number of people who will have a stroke will double by 2020; however, if what is already known is applied, half the strokes could be prevented.”
 
Brosig added: "As many as 70 per cent of all strokes could be avoided by preventative measures, so help should be sought immediately in the event of transitory (passing) attacks, such as waking in the morning with a lame arm or leg, or developing sudden vision trouble, or discovering a sudden drooping corner of the mouth. Another warning sign might take the form of speech disturbances or sudden severe headaches. These symptoms may cause slight irritation at the start, but should seemingly pass without any obvious damage at the time.
 
An informed victim would hurry to see a neurologist, knowing these can be the first signs of a possible stroke and time is of the essence. This is even more important when the person has risk factors such as high blood pressure, stress, smoking, obesity or an already known cardiac problem.
 
Anyone wishing to arrange a consultation or book their free check up on World Stroke Day can call +971 04 429 8578 or visit www.gnp-dubai.com
 

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