World Stroke Day on October 29, focuses on the importance of health care, as well as highlights the signs of a stroke.
Stroke is a severe health risk for both men and women seafarers. Accordingly, the signs indicating a stroke are:
- Numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body;
- Confusion or trouble talking;
- Trouble seeing;
- Dizziness or trouble walking;
- Severe headache.
To remind, another factor that may lead to a stroke is also hypertension of high blood pressure. In this case, the heart must work harder to pump blood through the narrowed arteries and if the condition persists, damage to the heart and blood vessels is likely, increasing the risk for stroke, heart attack, and kidney or heart failure.
In addition, another type of a stroke is the heat stroke. Also called sun stroke, it is a type of severe heat illness that results in great body temperature. The body loses its ability to keep a balance between the heat entering the body and the heat leaving the body. On board ship, seafarers most at risk are those working in the engine room or on deck in the sun, in engine rooms and other confined spaces or participating in fire-fighting exercises in fireman’s outfit.
