A Kaoshiung neurologist has warned against sitting in the same position for long periods without drinking water, saying that it could increase the risk of having a stroke.
A 22-year-old man last year suffered a stroke after spending 24 hours playing online games at an Internet cafe without eating or drinking or getting up from his seat, St Joseph Hospital neurology department director Hsien Hung-hsi (冼鴻曦) said.
The man was found unconscious in his seat and a CT scan showed that he had suffered an ischemic stroke in the left hemisphere of his brain, Hsien told a holistic healthcare seminar marking the hospital’s 70th anniversary.
Photo: Fang Chih-hsien, Taipei Times
The stroke left him paralyzed in his right arm and leg, Hsien said, adding that he also has aphasia.
He initially used a wheelchair, but after receiving post-acute care and physical therapy, he can now move his right arm and leg, and walk with the help of a walker, but he still stutters, Hsien added.
The patient is slightly overweight, but has no history of high blood pressure or cholesterol, he said.
He likely suffered a stroke after the long period of inactivity and the lack of food and water led to the formation of blood clots, which traveled to his brain and blocked blood vessels, Hsien said.
While strokes in elderly people are typically caused by high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, diabetes or other chronic diseases, younger people are more likely to suffer strokes as a result of a coagulation disorder — a lack of proteases that dissolve blood clots — or congenital vascular anomalies, such as an arteriovenous malformation, making blood vessels more likely to rupture, he said.
People who do not stay hydrated or remain sedentary for long periods, especially those with coagulation disorders, are at risk of having a stroke, Hsien added.
Such habits could lead to overly thick blood and angiemphraxis, although factors such as congenital heart, blood or blood vessel conditions cannot be ruled out, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital neurologist Lin Tsu-kung (林祖功) said.
Hsien urged people to stay hydrated and avoid long periods of inactivity to prevent ischemic strokes.
Meanwhile, a portable dental unit weighing 20kg that would allow doctors to provide in-home care services was displayed at the seminar, where physicians shared cases of post-acute and community-based care.
The hospital also showcased multifunctional, high-capacity medical kits that it has developed for home visits.
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