Stroke is a chronic ailment which is commonly known to affect different categories of people regardless of their ages and social classes. Most studies in the recent times indicate an upward rise in the cases of people being affected by stroke. This paper aims to look at the extent to which this medical condition affects older adults with a view of exploring ways of reducing the mortality rate of older adults as well as care and treatment in the incident of a Stroke diagnosis. Procedures that have been in use upon diagnosis of stroke patients and for this case the older population are also analyzed together with the implications of stroke on the elderly people.
According to the world health organization (WHO), stroke is termed as a unique syndrome in which a person rapidly develops severe clinical signs of focal disturbances of the cerebral function. The symptoms of this ailment lasts for twenty-four hours or longer which mostly results to the death of the affected individuals. As a cause of mortality among the elderly people, it is estimated that approximately one in four men and one in five women aged forty-five years can expect to experience stroke if they live up to eighty-five years old and above ( Harwell et al., 2005) . The prime reason behind this fact is that the diseases becomes more prevalent as one progresses in age. Individuals with risk factors for stroke should be knowledgeable of the signs of stroke which include numbness, weakness, headache as well as visual imbalances, loss of balance and coordination and, aphasia which warrant prompt medical intervention.
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In the recent time period which is crucially affected by the Corona virus pandemic, stroke is quite devastating for the vulnerable older population. It is estimated that about four hundred thousand cases of Stroke are reported every year in the United States alone with more than four million deaths per year reported worldwide (Adams et al., 2003). Furthermore, current disease trends indicate that stroke is the third most common cause of death and a leading cause of long-term neurological disability among the elderly.
Causes of Stroke
The causes of stroke can be classified either as natural or hereditary and lifestyle causes. The natural risk factors of Stroke include race, age and sex factor in which males are prone to the risk of the sickness. On the other hand, the modifiable risk factors include smoking, obesity, excessive use of alcohol and diabetes. Furthermore, the emotional well-being of elderly people is also a risk factor for triggering stroke. Also, individuals with high depressive symptoms have an increased risk of Stroke ( Ostir et al., 2001). Symptoms of depression are brought about by presence of negative feelings such as sadness and pessimistic thoughts as well as the lack of positive feelings which include happiness, motivation and optimism.
Stroke Related Study
A certain study was conducted on a sample of more than two thousand older white and black people from five counties in North California who had reported no history of Stroke. By use of the Center of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, it was discovered that increasing scores on modified CSE-D are related to an increased risk of Stroke. This could be attributed to loneliness and the loss of close friends or family members ( Nguyen-Huynh et al., 2000 ). Reasonable measures on dealing with stroke in such situations centers on psychological care and support of the elderly with the aim of enabling them to live a more fulfilling life free of stress and other strains.
Effects of Stroke
Stroke has a devastating socio-economic effect on the victims. Its economic burden is one of the highest among all other known diseases. It has wildly been considered a condition affecting developed or industrialized countries. Also, the current world trend indicates an upward trajectory of stroke cases in developing countries ( Wolfe, 2000 ). Such evidences have necessitated the need for addressing the menace posed by Stroke as a disease which not only implicates the individual lives but also destabilizes the economies. As a result, governments around the world have been forced to put in place more efforts of reducing mortality rate as a result of Stroke. The impacts of Stroke can be considered in different perspectives which include; the effects on patients themselves, the families affected, their carriers, basic care, acute hospital admissions and timely procurement of related medical equipment. This in turn proves to be quiet a task to policy makers who have the mandate to balance this health issue around other conflicting state programs and requirements.
Appropriate Measures of Dealing with Stroke
In the event of suffering from Stroke, care is vital for the patients both during and post occurrence of the incident. Acute stroke is widely recognized as a leading cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. Many patients, friends and close relatives do not realize the mortality impact of stroke. It is in good interest for the public to have full awareness about Stroke so that well defined actions are undertaken in the incident of acute stroke. For instance, the impact of nutrition in a stroke patient can be a good enlighten the people about dealing with the disease. Many of the risk factors for stroke have nutritionally modifiable behaviors. During the rehabilitation phases of stroke, nutritional supplements are vital interdisciplinary approach to care and treatment of stroke patients ( Cifkova, 2003 ). Stroke causes brain injury which can result in metabolic consequences. Consequentially, this could lead to the appearance of Dysphagia. The treatment of requires the use of specialized nutritional support, for weaning enteral tube feedings. Therefore, care and proper nutritional standards should be maintained while attending to stroke patients.
It is also becoming increasingly important to adopt ways of postponing Stroke or eradicating it as an emerging health issue. A lot of evidence suggest that the most effective means for reducing the burden of Stroke involves risk factor modifications. The identifiable health behaviors that can produce significant change should be investigated and addressed. As outlined earlier Stroke can be caused by hereditary and lifestyle factors. There is a greater need to address and thus control the effect of modifiable behaviors that alleviate the risk of Stroke. Ongoing longitudinal studies have enhanced this need by suggesting cautionary measures which include effective management of hypertension, smokers advised to quit smoking, a healthy diet and an active physical lifestyle. People are advised to be more active by participating in sporting activities such as walking ( Morse, & General, 2010 ). Maintaining a healthy lifestyle goes a long way to significantly reduce the impact that Stroke has on the socio-economic well-being of the society at large.
E stimating risks of Stroke by basing on an individual’s particular combination of risk factors, especially after experiencing stroke for the first time, is an important component of primary care. Care providers as well as other stake holders such as investigators have looked in detail at ways to identify high risk patients for stroke. The reason behind such actions is to use scientific models to modify the stroke related risk factors so as to reduce the risk of stroke with the purpose of enhancing preventive therapies. The common risk factors used in this analysis include systolic blood pressure, the use of antihypertensive therapy, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking, age, prior cardiovascular disease ( Carlsson et al., 2003 ). The information that one's risk of stroke is several times higher than the mean or average may provide the green light for risk factor modification.
In conclusion, the emphasis on the need for massive stroke awareness and its impact on the older adult population is vital. Shading light on the best practices to be properly adopted as far as Stroke is concerned can be the light at the end of the tunnel for all the people that have been affected by this ailment directly or passively. Additionally, the importance of scientific approach in meeting increasing demands on the need for reliable information about stroke is undeniably crucial. Therefore, more resources for enhancing researches should be made available for the purpose of finding a substantial medical solution for stroke.
References
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Wolfe, C. D. (2000). The impact of stroke. British medical bulletin , 56 (2), 275-286.
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