{"id":144,"date":"2026-06-27T15:11:53","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T14:11:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=144"},"modified":"2026-06-27T17:40:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T16:40:58","slug":"alas-strike-knows-no-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=144","title":{"rendered":"Alas! Stroke Knows No Age"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>BY FRANCISCA UNUTAME<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On a quiet morning in 2021, a strong and healthy man returned home from work with no sign of illness. Nothing appeared unusual until the following morning when he woke around 5 a.m. intending to use the restroom, only to discover that he could no longer stand up from his bed. His hands and legs had suddenly become weak and difficult to move. What seemed like an ordinary night had quickly turned into a medical emergency a stroke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stroke is often viewed as a disease that affects only elderly people, but health experts and members of the public say the condition can happen to anyone, regardless of age or gender. Increasing awareness about stroke has become important as cases among younger people continue to rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pharm. Juliet Odinaka Asogwa, a pharmacist, explained that stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain is suddenly interrupted or reduced, preventing brain cells from receiving enough oxygen and nutrients. According to her, brain cells begin to die within minutes, which can result in permanent disability or death if treatment is delayed. She described stroke as a medical emergency that requires urgent attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cQuick treatment can save brain function, reduce disability, and improve survival chances,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pharm. Juliet listed high blood pressure, blood clots, diabetes, heart disease, smoking, obesity, high cholesterol, and excessive alcohol intake as some of the major causes of stroke. Although older adults are more vulnerable, she stressed that unhealthy lifestyles, stress, and drug abuse are increasing stroke cases among younger people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She also identified common warning signs of stroke, including sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body, facial drooping, slurred speech, confusion, and difficulty walking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking on public awareness, Mrs. Sandra said she understands stroke as a serious medical condition that happens when blood flow to the brain is suddenly interrupted or reduced, preventing the brain from getting enough oxygen and nutrients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn simple terms, stroke is a brain emergency,\u201d she explained. \u201cIt occurs when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked or bursts, causing brain cells to begin dying within minutes.\u201dMrs. Sandra said she first learned about stroke through health talks, media reports, social media awareness campaigns, and stories of people within her community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to her, many factors contribute to stroke, including high blood pressure, blood clots, heart disease, diabetes, smoking, stress, excessive alcohol consumption, and lack of physical activity. She rejected the common belief that stroke affects only old people, stressing that young adults and even children can also experience stroke due to lifestyle habits or underlying health conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She also pointed out that cultural misconceptions still exist in some communities, where stroke is sometimes linked to spiritual attacks, witchcraft, or punishment. According to her, such beliefs often delay proper medical treatment and worsen the condition of patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mrs. Sandra said she would immediately suspect a medical emergency if someone suddenly collapsed, lost speech, or showed signs such as facial drooping and arm weakness. She emphasized the need for urgent medical help in such situations. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI would call emergency services or rush the person to the nearest hospital immediately,\u201d she said. She added that many people still do not know how to properly respond to stroke emergencies due to limited awareness in communities. For this reason, she called for increased public education on stroke prevention and emergency response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On prevention, Mrs. Sandra stated that stroke can often be avoided through healthy living and regular medical care. She advised people to maintain balanced diets, exercise regularly, avoid smoking, limit alcohol intake, manage stress, and regularly monitor blood pressure and sugar levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beyond the physical effects, she explained that stroke can completely change a person\u2019s life by affecting speech, movement, independence, mental health, and ability to work. Families, she said, often face emotional, financial, and physical burdens while caring for stroke survivors. \u201cI would like to know more about rehabilitation options, recovery timelines, and how caregivers can be better supported,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A traditional healer, Mrs. Edward Glory, also shared her perspective on stroke and its treatment. According to her, stroke can be caused by high blood pressure and high sugar levels. She explained that patients may show signs such as difficulty walking, weakness in the legs, and changes in facial appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mrs. Glory said she treats stroke patients using traditional methods such as massage and herbal remedies prepared from local leaves and plant extracts. According to her, recovery may take several months or even years depending on the severity of the patient\u2019s condition. She advised people to avoid excessive stress, too much sugar intake, and exposure to cold weather in order to reduce the risk of stroke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite different beliefs surrounding treatment methods, medical professionals continue to stress the importance of immediate hospital care whenever stroke symptoms appear. Early diagnosis and treatment remain critical in improving survival and reducing disability. Stroke may happen suddenly and without warning, but awareness, healthy living, early treatment, and proper medical care can make the difference between life and death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>The Author, Francisca Unutame is a 200 level journalism and media studies student of Delta State University Abraka<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>BY FRANCISCA UNUTAME On a quiet morning in 2021, a strong and healthy man returned home from work with no sign of illness. Nothing appeared unusual until the following morning when he woke around 5 a.m. intending to use the restroom, only to discover that he could no longer stand up from his bed. His [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":149,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"iawp_total_views":3,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,15],"tags":[38,28],"class_list":["post-144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthcorner","category-viewspoint","tag-stroke","tag-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=144"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":158,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144\/revisions\/158"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}