On the initiative of the Brain Stroke Foundation, in the fall of 2014, in the streets of five cities – Gdańsk, Warsaw, Katowice, Wrocław and Poznań – an educational exhibition on stroke will be presented under the slogan “Stroke Manifesto”. The exhibition will consist of portraits and stories of people who have experienced this disease. Thanks to the exhibition, you will also be able to see basic information about stroke – its causes and prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. The project is accompanied by the website www.manifestudarowy.pl created especially for this occasion. The first edition of the exhibition took place in Gdańsk, while on September 11-23, the exhibition will be available in Warsaw, at the Stefan Wiechecki Passage “Wiecha” (back of the Centrum Department Stores, from ul. Chmielna).
– Despite the fact that stroke is the third most common cause of death and the most common cause of disability in people over 40, the knowledge of Polish society about this disease is still small – says Adam Siger from the Brain Stroke Foundation. – Exhibitions will tell the stories of stroke survivors and share their experiences. The accompanying website, manifestudarowy.pl, allows you to learn more about their testimonies. It also allows you to download and express support for the Stroke Manifesto – a document developed by the FUM, which includes postulates regarding changes in the health care system in the field of stroke.
Stroke is an important social problem. Every year in Poland there are about 70 thousand. cases of the disease and about 30 thousand. deaths caused by it. As many as 30% of people die of a stroke within the first month of getting sick. 20% of patients who survive the acute phase of stroke require constant care, and 30% of assistance in some activities of everyday life.
– Before that, I did not know the symptoms of this disease at all and when they appeared, I did not realize that I had a stroke – says Paweł, one of the heroes of the exhibition. – I started to experience disturbing symptoms, body paresis, problems with my eyesight. It made me nervous. I remember that I even thought if this might be the end of my life.
Stroke is one of the few common life-threatening diseases that can be effectively minimized. Modification of risk factors not only reduces the incidence, but also the course of the disease. Primary prevention aims to reduce the risk of stroke in asymptomatic people. It mainly consists in influencing the so-called modifiable risk factors for stroke (research shows that they are responsible for 90% of the risk), among which we can distinguish lifestyle elements (e.g. lack of physical activity, poor diet, smoking) and diseases such as hypertension or diabetes. Important risk factors also include cardiac arrhythmias, the most common of which is atrial fibrillation, which affects up to 400 Poles. This disease accounts for nearly 000% of ischemic strokes, which are particularly severe – half of the patients die in the first year after the onset of a stroke. In people suffering from diseases whose complications may be a stroke, it is necessary to use appropriate therapies in accordance with the current guidelines of scientific societies.
In the event of a stroke, secondary prevention is also extremely important due to the frequent relapses of the disease. After an ischemic stroke, recurrence of the disease occurs within a year in 6% -12% of patients, and within 5 years in 40% -50%. Therefore, appropriate treatment should be given after the first stroke.
– One day I woke up in the morning and found that my left side was paralyzed. I knew almost nothing about a stroke, so I didn’t even know that something like this had happened to me – says Barbara, another heroine of the exhibition. – The stroke was a real disaster for me: before, I was very active, fit and extremely independent. All my life I had a problem asking anyone for help. Suddenly, overnight, I was forced to do so.
When a stroke occurs, it is crucial for successful treatment to recognize the symptoms of the disease quickly and call an ambulance immediately. If a patient has suffered from an ischemic stroke (about 80% of all cases) and he reaches the hospital quickly enough, it is possible to apply a therapy that may save his life and reduce the complications of the disease. However, such treatment may only be used up to 4,5 hours after the onset of a stroke. Rehabilitation is also extremely important in the treatment of stroke. Adequate and promptly initiated physical therapy significantly reduces the early complications of stroke, and thus reduces early mortality. It is also critical to the quality of life of a stroke survivor.
Stroke risk factors
Factors we can influence:
– hypertension
– heart disease (e.g. atrial fibrillation)
– diabetes
– smoking tobacco
– alcohol abuse
– obesity
– high cholesterol
Factors beyond our control:
– age (the probability of a stroke increases with age)
– gender (stroke is more common in men)
– genetic factors
Symptoms of a stroke
The most common symptoms of a stroke include:
– Facial asymmetry – paresis or paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face (e.g. drooping corner of the mouth)
– Paresis or hemi-paralysis of the upper or lower limbs
– Speech disorders – slurred, incomprehensible speech
– Blurred vision
– Loss of balance and dizziness
Impact manifesto
The Stroke Manifesto, prepared by the Brain Stroke Foundation, is an expression of efforts to improve stroke care. In the opinion of the FUM, the goals that should be set for the health care system should be:
– reducing the number of strokes,
– reduction of mortality from strokes,
– reducing the level of disability caused by stroke,
– improving the situation of people after a stroke and increasing the availability of specialist medical services.
Brain Stroke Foundation
The Brain Stroke Foundation was established in 2009. Its mission is to improve the situation of stroke patients and to promote behaviors that prevent cerebrovascular diseases. For this purpose, the Foundation conducts numerous informational and educational activities. The Brain Stroke Foundation is the only Polish organization to be a member of the Stroke Alliance for Europe and a partner of the World Stroke Organization.