A health specialist has recently warned of a possible increase in stroke cases with the onset of the traditional Christmas season approaches, noting a yearly trend of patients being rushed to hospital after Christmas parties and celebrations.
East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) Emergency Department and Trauma Center chief Dr. Maria Veronica Datinguinoo said stroke admissions typically begin to climb in early December, coinciding with a spike in gatherings, alcohol intake, lack of sleep and poor adherence to maintenance medications.
Data from EAMC showed a steady rise in stroke cases since 2020, as follows:
• 2020: 188 cases;
• 2021: 226 cases;
• 2022: 247 cases; and
• 2023: 328 cases
“Usually, it starts during Christmas parties. After drinking, they forget to take their maintenance medicines,” Dr. Datinguinoo said on the sidelines of a media conference about healthy holidays and cancer.
“People think their headache is caused only by a hangover, but it is not; their blood shoot up” she noted, adding that many holiday-related stroke cases involve individuals who dismiss warning signs, assuming symptoms are due to drinking or fatigue. Lack of sleep, stress from activities and poor health-related behavior further increase the risk.
Dr. Datinguinoo, however, assured the EAMC is fully equipped as a stroke-ready hospital, with complete imaging facilities, including MRI and CT scan machines, and immediate access to clot-busting medication that can dissolve blockages within the critical four-hour “golden window.”
“In private hospitals, the clot-buster medication is quite expensive. Since we are a government facility, the medicine is readily available and already charged to the bill. But because of zero balance billing, even if the patient is in the intensive care unit, they won’t have to pay anything),” she pointed out.
She, however, reminded the public to practice moderation during holiday feasts, especially those with known high cholesterol levels or existing conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.
Individuals with high cholesterol levels are encouraged to take their medicines even in the absence of symptoms as it could lead to high blood pressure level. Additionally, health experts warned that uncontrolled cholesterol and blood sugar levels make the blood “malapot” (thick), increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke.
Both the heart and brain are at risk when blood vessels suddenly fail. The EAMC has seen stroke patients as young as 23 years old, many of whom work in call centers and experience chronic sleep deprivation. Some resort to drinking alcohol to fall asleep during the day so they can function during night shifts, compounding the risk.
Pointing out that stroke can strike at any age and holidays are not exemptions, she urged the public to maintain medications, limit alcohol, ensure adequate rest and seek immediate medical care for any warning signs. (With PNA)