Imagine a man walking along the road because the sidewalk is blocked. A street dog jumps at him and barks very loudly. The scared man quickly steps aside to avoid the dog, and in the process gets hit by a lorry coming behind him! This reminds me of other health risks when we are focused on Covid-19.
Covid-19 with its many variants is frightening enough. We
should not take it lightly and should take every precaution possible to avoid
it. It is particularly dangerous to elderly people who may not be physically
fit for a variety of reasons. My suggestion is that they should not forget
other health risks like stroke. This does not mean that only people above 60 get
stroke. 10 to 15% of strokes are reported to occur in those below 50; being careful is necessary for everyone.
I do not offer any medical advice; that is the job of your
doctor, but I do caution you against negligence. A family friend of ours had a
stroke five years ago and has been lying paralyzed ever since. What can you do
to reduce the risk of such a possibility?
Do you see a doctor at least once or twice a year? Does he
check your blood pressure? Are you overweight or obese? Do you smoke? Do your
best to live a healthy life to reduce your risk of stroke.
You may find some more information at https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/the-stroke-disease-burden-in-india-has-increased-nearly-100-indian-stroke-association/72895241
. This article says that the number of strokes in India have doubled over the
last few decades. It says that roughly 18 lakh persons suffer a stroke in India
every year.
Going back to my analogy - it is less risky to be bitten by
the dog. Avoid the lorry!
Srinivasan Ramani
