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Journalism of Courage
It’s a hectic Tuesday for 37-year-old Gaurav, the principal director of an IT company. Three years ago, he would be pacing up and down, stuck to his phone, talking to his colleagues and clients non-stop, stretching himself on the spectrum of anxiety. That’s what triggered his brain stroke. Today, he is much wiser for it and has learnt to space out his work, draw up a structured routine of deadlines and prioritise some me-time, playing guitar that relaxes him.
Gaurav’s workaholism had consumed him to such an extent that he fidgeted around while in hospital after the stroke. “Apart from anxiety, he was into excessive alcohol consumption, having four drinks at one go. On investigation, we found that he had high levels of homocysteine. This is an amino acid in your blood that, when present in high levels, can damage blood vessels, increase the risk of blood clots and raise the risk of heart attack, stroke and other health problems,” says Dr Atul Prasad, vice-chairman and head of the neurology department at BLK Max Hospital, Delhi, who treated Gaurav. Luckily, he had no history of diabetes, hypertension or cholesterol, so he recovered quickly without complications.
“You don’t need to have family history. Stress and anxiety can raise blood pressure and affect the body’s clotting mechanisms, indirectly increasing stroke risk. Elevated homocysteine levels, often related to nutritional deficiencies, can damage blood vessels and promote clot formation in the brain. Other common risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity and certain heart conditions,” says Dr MV Padma Shrivastava, chairperson, neurology, Paras Health, Gurugram. Dr Prasad has been seeing at least four cases of young brain strokes every month. “Stroke in young patients is primarily because of genetic and lifestyle factors, including smoking, alcohol consumption, party drugs and decreased sleep,” he says.
Once an MRI and a CT angiography test found a clot in his brain, Gaurav was kept in hospital for three days under observation. His clot dissolved and he had no muscle weakness or paralysis. He is now on blood thinners as a precautionary measure apart from cholesterol and triglyceride-lowering medicines. Once he felt better and changed his lifestyle completely, he didn’t need his anti-anxiety pills. Now Gaurav cannot do without his 5-km walk daily. He eats clean, choosing low-salt meals and avoiding fried food items. He has given up smoking.“I feel totally normal now. I take a break from the screen and walk for 10 minutes after every two hours,” he says.
Rehabilitation should begin as early as possible after a stroke. “It usually includes physiotherapy to regain mobility, speech therapy if communication is affected, occupational therapy to relearn daily activities and psychological support if needed. A structured rehabilitation plan helps patients work toward regaining independence and improving quality of life,” says Dr Shrivastava. But the key to awareness is internalising a life-long discipline to reduce the risk of recurrence. “Patients should take their prescribed medications regularly and not ignore follow-ups. Diet, exercise, avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol and maintaining a healthy weight help in prevention,” she adds.
