Prevention of sudden death in elderly people during the hot season

The sultry summer weather significantly increases sudden death cases, especially for the elderly. Diseases leading to sudden death are often cardiovascular disease, lung disease, electrolyte disorders due to hot sun .

People with sudden death need to know the first emergency right (Photo: hankooki) When a healthy person suddenly dies, he calls it a sudden death phenomenon - rapid death is unpredictable. Death occurs within an hour of the first sign of illness such as chest pain, suffocation, fatigue .

There are many reasons for sudden death:

Cardiovascular disease : Such as myocardial infarction, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy and hypertension . These diseases easily cause heart failure, arrhythmia and sudden death. People with myocardial infarction have a death rate 10 times higher than normal people.

Chronic lung disease : Malignant bronchial asthma leading to acute respiratory failure.

Epidemic disorders : Such as severe blood loss, electrolyte disorders .

Injury to the respiratory center, damage to the heart and brain.

Excessive reaction of the body : As a vagus nerve reflex (nerve that governs lung and stomach activity).

Until now, no expert has confirmed that patients with heart failure or myocardial infarction will die at any time. Therefore, the best way to prevent sudden death is to treat and prevent factors that can cause sudden death.

For patients with a heart attack, it is important to know that first aid is right and then call emergency to get to the hospital. This case must be closely monitored and appropriate treatment available.

People with hypertension should be treated promptly and regularly checked their blood pressure to prevent paroxysmal hypertensive attacks leading to heart failure, arrhythmia, sudden death.

Asthma patients need medication and respiratory support when having an asthma attack. In general, people with the above diseases need to know how to monitor and have emergency medicine with them to prevent a dangerous situation from occurring.

Healthy people also need to improve their knowledge of health protection knowledge, when they see abnormal signs, they need to see a doctor. Even when normal health should be periodically 1-2 years / a comprehensive examination (heart, lungs, blood pressure, blood chemistry tests .).

People who are addicted to cigarettes, waterpipe tobacco and alcoholics should quit because there are more than 4,000 types of poison in cigarettes. In particular, smoking addiction is one of the causes of coronary atherosclerosis and obstructive pulmonary disease. Alcohol also causes hypertension, cardiac muscle relaxation, which leads to a stroke, arrhythmia and sudden death.

Increasing physical activity also reduces the rate of heart attack and sudden death. Statistics show that those who work manual and always active are less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than local workers. For people with cardiovascular disease, the best way to practice is to walk.

Anyone can have a sudden death if they don't know what they have. Therefore, periodic health examination is the most radical method of sudden death prevention.

Doctor Nguyen Khac Hien