|
Monday, August 18, 2003
Brain stroke next to killer pneumonia
BRAIN stroke is the number two killer disease worldwide next to killer pneumonia, according to the Stroke Society of the Philippines.
Dr. Brenda Diputado, co-chairwoman of Oplan Ugaliing Tingnan Ating Kalusugan (Oplan Utak), said brain stroke is next to all types of pneumonia to include Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars).
Diputado, a neurologist at Silliman University Medical Center, said brain stroke kills 20 million people worldwide every year, kills 5 million people in Asia annually and is the number one killer in Asian countries and the leading cause of disability.
In Negros Oriental, brain stroke strikes about 75 percent of the total number of patients in stroke cases.
Diet modification is the number one prevention, next is exercise and the third is medication, said Dr. Lyn Olegario, committee chair for transportation and accommodation for the upcoming celebration of Brain Stroke Consciousness Week to be held in Dumaguete City this week.
Dr. Olegario observed that Filipinos skip exercises and diet modifications and run for medications when they are ill.
Symptoms for brain stroke include among others, paralysis of half of the body, numbness or heaviness, continued headache and blindness and muteness.
She said hypertension is the number one cause of brain stroke.
"Once a hypertensive, always a hypertensive," Dr. Diputado said.
Olergario advised smokers to stop smoking that causes hypertension.
Coffee, she said, does not cause hypertension but stress.
Around 280 brain experts and other medical specialists from all over the country and national officials of the Stroke Society of the Philippines will convene in Dumaguete City on August 20-22 for their 4th national convention to be held at Bethel Guest House, the first time outside Metro Manila. VLC
(August 16, 2003 issue)
Want Sun.Star news on your mobile phone? Click here.
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[ return
to top ]
[ home
]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
