Dr. Jimmy Mohamed is one of France’s leading physicians and medical columnists! He frequently appears in the media to discuss health issues.
Popular for his medical advice and columns, he addresses a variety of health, wellness and medical topics on the networks!
Recently on RTL, Doctor Jimmy Mohamed talked about the number of neurons lost during a stroke, and you’re in for a surprise! Here’s how it works.
Stroke on the rise
In France, there are almost 140,000 new cases every year – that’s one every 4 minutes! Of these, over 110,000 are hospitalized, and 30,000 die.
« It is the 3rd leading cause of death in men and the 2nd in women, after cancer and myocardial infarction, » says the French Ministry of Health and Prevention.
To act quickly, you need to learn how to recognize it!
In the event of a stroke, you have 2 options:
- Either one of the brain’s arteries will bleed, known as ahemorrhagic stroke,
- Either an artery is blocked by a blood clot, in which case we speak ofischemic stroke.
Whatever the case, you’re going to experience sudden onset of neurological signs!
Depending on the area of the brain affected, you will experience different types of symptoms. For example, if the area responsible for speech is affected, you’ll have a speech impediment.
« If it’s an area responsible for motor skills, you’ll have paralysis or weakness of an arm or leg, or half your face. Not to mention that you can also have visual problems, i.e. you suddenly can’t see properly, balance problems or severe headaches », explains the doctor.
Nearly 2 million neurons are lost every minute
« It’s estimated that in the event of a stroke, you lose around 2 million neurons every minute that passes, » explains Dr. Jimmy Mohamed.
Indeed, it is one of the world’s leading causes of death, and the leading cause of acquired disability in adults. Rapid intervention is therefore crucial to unblock the affected artery!
As Dr. Jimmy Mohamed so aptly explains, « they say time is money, but in a stroke, time is brain!
However, the doctor points out that « if you have one of the neurological signs […] and after a few minutes everything goes back to normal, you should also be concerned. This is called a TIA, for transient ischemic attack. It happens 20% of the time, and is one of the warning signs of a real stroke. So, here too, you need to call 15, as you’ll be given tests and treatment to thin the blood. »
Some advice from the doctor…
By controlling a few factors, you can successfully prevent stroke. Firstly, it’s essential to keep your blood pressure under 14.9.
« Secondly, by quitting smoking, taking up physical activity,balancing your diet by eating fruit and vegetables, and controlling your cholesterol. If you do all these things, you can reduce your risk of stroke by 80%, » concludes Dr. Jimmy Mohamed.