Mangaluru: Medical professionals in the city have stressed the need to raise awareness about the early signs of acute stroke among young adults.
Dr Shivananda Pai, consultant neurologist at KMC Hospital, Mangaluru, said strokes among young adults were commonly seen in the 30-50 age group. Dr ZK Misri, HoD and consultant neurologist at KMC Hospital, said, “Having managed more than 25,000 stroke cases, our team is observing a clear upward trend among patients in the 30-50 age group. Administering intravenous thrombolysis within the narrow 4.5 hour treatment window remains the standard treatment for dissolving clots and restoring blood flow to the brain in acute ischaemic strokes.”
Dr Rajesh Shetty, consultant neurologist and medical director at First Neuro Hospital, said that he encounters at least three to four young stroke patients every week. He said many such cases were linked to the failure to monitor blood pressure regularly. He recommended regular blood pressure monitoring, and said preventive MRI scans could be considered for those with a family history of neurological disorders. Time is crucial, and the patient must be taken to a stroke-ready hospital as soon as possible, after the onset of symptoms,” he said. Dr Rohit Pai, consultant neurologist at KMC Hospital, said, “Over the past decade, the incidence of stroke among young adults has been alarming.
Intravenous clot-dissolving medication must be administered within the 4.5-hour treatment window in eligible cases, with earlier treatment improving the chances of recovery. Doctors attribute the increasing number of stroke cases in this age group to sedentary lifestyles, untreated hypertension, diabetes, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking and lack of physical activity. A family history of neurological disorders can also increase the risk, making regular health monitoring essential. Patients often make the mistake of waiting for transient numbness or other focal neurological symptoms to subside on their own. However, any sudden neurological symptom should be treated as a medical emergency.
He added that occasional triggers, including heavy alcohol consumption, could cause a dangerous spike in blood pressure, placing severe stress on the brain’s blood vessels and triggering a stroke before the patient realised that they had an underlying health condition.