Younger people are now entering the list of stroke victims, dispelling the belief that the affliction only hits older people, the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) has warned.
‘There are a lot of misconceptions about stroke, one of which is that stroke afflicts only old people,’ said SPMC Medical Officer Dr. Rafael Nicolas C. Banga, who elaborated on the subject during his guesting on the city government-owned Davao City Disaster Radio health program.
Banga said they have treated stroke patients who are 23 and 27 years old. When they checked these young stroke patients, they found that they had high cholesterol levels, smoked, and used prohibited drugs.
Consultations
SPMC attended to 2,000 stroke patients in 2025, among them patients in their 20s. Its Neurology Department also received 2,000 stroke-related consultations.
‘Another misconception is that when symptoms disappear, it would already be all right,’ Banga said. He warned, however, that temporary symptoms ‘are warning signs of an impending full-blown stroke.’
‘Patients must go to the hospital, undergo a medical checkup, and take medications when prescribed,’ he said.
Banga said patients should take stroke symptoms seriously. ‘If patients are experiencing symptoms, they must go directly to the hospital rather than just rest and wait for the symptoms to fade.’
‘The longer we wait, the bigger the damage will be,’ Banga said.
Two types of strokes
Dr. Meldy Anuta, a specialist in internal medicine and neurology, said stroke has two main types: ischemic and hemorrhagic.
‘We have ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. When an ischemic stroke occurs, there is a blockage in the blood vessels. Blood could not flow to the vital organs. Another type of stroke, although it is a minority, is hemorrhagic stroke. Our veins burst and when they do, the blood scatters throughout the surrounding areas of our brain,’ Anuta said.
Warning signs for both types of stroke include facial weakness or numbness, arm and leg weakness or numbness, and speech abnormalities. These symptoms commonly manifest quickly. Other symptoms that victims may experience include balance abnormalities or loss of balance, dizziness, and eye abnormalities or blurred vision.
Anuta pointed to high blood pressure as the biggest risk factor, saying that ‘lowering your blood pressure reduces your chance of having a stroke.’
Other high-risk factors include diabetes mellitus, heart conditions such as irregular heartbeats, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, lack of sleep, high cholesterol levels, and stress. Family history, such as having parents or grandparents who suffered a stroke, also increases one’s chances.
The medical professionals advised the public to adopt a healthier lifestyle, check and control their risk factors, have regular checkups, and act immediately when initial symptoms manifest.