People with chronic diseases are advised to keep warm in cold weather because they are at a higher risk of getting a stroke, health experts said yesterday as a new cold front approached Taiwan.
More people are admitted to the hospital for cerebrovascular diseases in the winter than in the summer or fall because lower temperatures can cause the narrowing of blood vessels and a rise in blood pressure, said Liu Ching-shan (劉青山), vice superintendent of Changhua Christian Hospital.
Consequently, people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney failure should take extra precautions by staying warm and maintaining a regular lifestyle, the Bureau of Health Promotion said.
The bureau urged families whose members have chronic illnesses to be alert to signs of a stroke and send potential stroke victims to a hospital as quickly as possible to prevent complications.
‘FAST’ TIPS
The bureau said people needed to remember the acronym FAST — face, arms, speech, time — when considering the symptoms and treatment of strokes.
If people’s faces appear crooked when they smile, or they have difficulty raising an arm or speaking clearly, it may be an indication of a stroke.
PROFESSIONAL HELP
However, Liu said that it was not easy for non-specialists to diagnose the condition, which was why getting professional help quickly was important.
“The best way is to rush the patient to the hospital within an hour or two when something goes wrong and give doctors enough time to perform a full examination,” Liu said.
“As much as we like to go ahead and treat stroke patients, we have a standard procedure to go through, papers to sign and tests to run, which all take time — and could delay the window for treatment,” he added.
According to a survey done by the bureau in 2005, 75 percent of patients suffering from a stroke had experienced complications that could have been avoided had they been treated immediately.
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