Strong, agile and active were some of the adjectives used to describe Mr. Samuel Ayodele (not real name), but all that has gone with the passing of the years as his health deteriorates as a result of stroke.Life indeed can never be what it used to be before. The feeling as well can never be the same for Pa Samuel, 66, as he has emancipated beyond recognition.His daughter, Lola said it all started in 2011when he went out to visit a friend, but alas, 'I got a telephone call that he fell down and could neither talk nor move his wrist.' For Mr. Ayodele, that was the beginning of the journey into partial stroke, which was confirmed after diagnosis.Stroke is a sudden impairment in brain function. One who suffers a stroke may suffer an inability to speak or speak clearly, walk, or move a limb because blood has stopped flowing to an area of the brain. Usually, this is caused by the blockage, or the rupture, of a blood vessel. The severity of these impairments depends on how large the damage to the brain is, and on the part of the brain that is affected. Speaking further on the ordeal of Pa Ayodele, Lola told the Nigerian Compass that although, placed under medication, her father often experienced another stroke attack, which further leads to loss of appetite and slowness in sound production.Recently, the Ayodeles are singing a different tune entirely as their father cannot even open his mouth to eat anything nor talk. He is helped to the loo and at times, if not checked upon on time, defecates on the bed. 'The situation is really worse right now,' laments his wife who has automatically assumed the position of his nurse.Before, at least, he could manage to eat something, take his drugs, take his bath, move around, talk and do some few things for himself, but now, the reverse is not only the case, the situation is worse. He cannot even recognise anybody. Although, he could hear a little, he totally cannot talk.If you think that the case of Ayodele happened because of his advanced age, consider 42-year-old mechanical engineer, Mr. Tommy Cooker who also suffered a stroke, which resulted in the paralysis of both his right hand and leg. His family and neighbours were shocked to find that he lost his power of speech instantly after the attack. Thereafter, his spirited efforts to communicate resulted in incomprehensible blabbing. 'It is unbelievable that daddy cannot utter any comprehensible words,' laments his 20-year-old only son who took the responsibility of caring for him. Cooker had lost his wife to road traffic accident 15 years ago. 'It is a huge burden to feed him, clean him when he urinates and defecates on himself and practically assist him to do everything daily,' Cooker's son told the Nigerian Compass. It was so bad that Cooker's death eight months became a great relief for his son.While the stories of Ayodele and Cooker may sound a bit distant, many Nigerians are certainly in tune with how the ravages of stroke made Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Biafran Warlord, leader of the defunct Republic of Biafra and the opposition All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), to succumb to death last Saturday, after almost a year of hospitalisation at Royal Berkshire Hospital in the United Kingdom (UK).Other known personalities that are down with stroke include Enebeli Elebuwa, a popular actor, Walter Oyatogun a former broadcaster with the Nigerian Television Authority, among others.Many stroke patients are not only helpless due to their inability to carry out simple chores, they age rapidly because of the impact of the condition on their general health. Hear the observation of Dr. Biodun Ogungbo, a consultant neurosurgeon who treats stroke patients and people with brain diseases: 'He enters as a 40-year-old, but leaves as an 80-year-old. 'This is the devastating image of a stroke victim who enters a normal medical ward, said Ogungbo, a consultant neurosurgeon with Cedar Crest Hospital in Abuja.Stroke ages the patient as each hour of poor blood supply to the brain passes, he said.It may have been easy for the family of Ojukwu to sustain his care in a hospital in the UK because of his wealth and the contributions of the Anambra State Government towards his medical treatment, such privilege may not be possible for majority of stroke patients, many of whom die from lack of care. It is for this reason and to ensure that the burden stroke patients face is reduced that experts are calling for necessary policy for the management of stroke.Many countries in the world including America, the UK, Germany, among others have developed Stroke Management Protocols and established dedicated Stroke Units and these units have helped to reduce morbidity and mortality arising from stroke. Considering that stroke is a major cause of neurological admission in Nigeria, the Nigerian Stoke Society has designed Stroke Guidelines for the country.However, Dr. Ogungbo has called on the three tiers of government to establish Stroke Units and Comprehensive Rehabilitation Centres in the country as a strategy to improve needed care for affected people.Sixteen million stroke incidences are reported worldwide every year of which six million die. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that every six seconds someone somewhere dies from a stroke. Tragically nearly, 80 per cent of the stroke deaths occur in the developing world including Nigeria.Stroke is increasing in Nigeria and experiences indicate that more young people are being affected. Dr. Ogungbo said, 'Recently, most of my patients are between 40 and 50 years of age. According to the Framingham Study, a long-term on going cardiovascular Study, 'Of every three of us, one would get a stroke or dementia, which is a different kind of brain disorder.'Explaining this data, Ogungbo said In reality terms, this could mean that one-third of the 470 Members of the Senate and House of Representatives (160 Honorable members) are at risk of a stroke or dementia during their lifetime.Similarly, of the 160 million Nigerians, 50 million are exposed to the same risk during their lifetime. Although, the figures are chilling, medical experts said only few stroke patients have access to proper medical care here in Nigeria. However, the good news is that stoke can be prevented.Speaking on the management of stroke, a Nurse Stoke Consultant, Rita Melifonwu of Stroke Action Nigeria, a UK-based non government organisation (NGO), said once you have had a stroke, diabetes or hypertension, you need to know that it is a long term condition, which will not disappear.She advised such people to take their prescribed drug, which will keep the risk factors under control. 'If you stop taking your drugs, you will become ill or sick and may have complications such as headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, lethargy or in the worst case scenario have another stroke, heart attack or even die,' she said.As for those who have not already suffered a stroke, she urged them to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 'This way, the potential for ill health is minimised and the need to take drugs may not arise. On the link of poor diet, obesity and increased stroke risk, Melifonwu lamented that most people are eating much more than they are used to, and also, eating at the wrong times such as eating heavy carbohydrate meals or fatty food very late in the evening. She said,'This causes them to have increased body fat.
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