Wind Stroke

By Li Hua, L. Ac. TCMD.

Stroke, in medical dictionary, means the sudden development of focal neurological deficits, which usually related to impaired cerebral blood, such as, thrombosis, hemorrhage, or embolism. Stroke can be heart stroke, heat stroke, spinal stroke or sunstroke. Here I will talk the stroke indicates wind stroke. Wind stroke is an emergency case. Because it happens quickly like the wind, from which its name comes. Wind stroke is referred to cerebral thrombosis, hemorrhage, embolism, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and etc. which shown by falling down in a fit with loss of consciousness, or side body paralysis, vague speech and deflected mouth.

Wind stroke is thought only to happen in senior people. But there are also children or newborn babies to get wind stroke recent years. For example, a little girl got wind stroke after she loudly crying and fighting for the toy with her brother. Light stroke may make patients side body paralysis. Serious stroke may lead patients to death.

The reason for senior people getting wind stroke is simple. Patients have chronic disease for long time, such as, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc., which result as hard or narrow blood vessel. When the weather or the mood have big change, it is easy to happen wind stroke. The reason of children ‘s wind stroke is complicated. Some are caused by congenital abnormal blood vessel, congenital abnormal metabolism, or blood vessel tumor, etc. Some have not been clear yet. Additionally, moyamoya disease can cause blood vessel narrow or blocked that lead to wind stroke. Chronic virus infection may result as the injury of the inner cells of the blood vessel to increase the coagulability of blood platelets. For a long time, it may inform the blockage in blood vessel and may end with wind stroke.

No matter it is an adult, a senior or a child, it is important to rescue the patient as soon as possible (not more than three hours), otherwise, there is a risk to increase the disability or death, and the prognosis is not fast and good. Using western medicine to help wind stroke patients is well known. Acupuncture, as the part of rescuing, is old news in China and the new thing in United States. Many years clinical practicing and lab tests have approved that acupuncture can remove blood stasis and block, improve blood circulation, increase energy and retrieve the function of organs, limbs, brain and speech, etc. Treating wind stroke patients with the combination of Traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine can receive better result.

Wind stroke patients will bring many inconveniences to themselves and their family. It is necessary to prevent it. Physical check should on schedule. Please don’t forget checking blood pressure frequently. Attention should be paid to diet and life style and avoid overstraining. Let children have enough sleep and reduce or avoid very late party. Remind children to wash their hand constantly. If the children always complain headache, the parents should take them to see a medical professional to find out what causes their headache. Controlling mood and forbearance should be learnt. Frequent acupuncture, TuiNa or Tai Chi Qi Gong may prevent an attack of wind stroke.