As the saying goes, "spring sleepiness and autumn tiredness," many people feel lazy and can't get enough sleep in the spring. Spring sleepiness is a normal physiological phenomenon during the change of seasons. If it doesn't affect work and daily life, occasionally sleeping more is not a problem. However, sudden or frequent excessive sleepiness, especially in elderly people, should be cause for concern.
[Is excessive sleepiness in the elderly related to cerebral infarction?]
1. Is excessive sleepiness in the elderly related to cerebral infarction?
When the cerebral blood vessels of the elderly become atherosclerotic and the cerebral blood supply is insufficient, symptoms of hypoxia will occur. Early-stage cerebral infarction patients often experience frequent yawning and increased sleep. Therefore, this important warning signal should not be ignored.
2. Four points for preventing cerebral infarction in middle-aged and elderly people
Diet moderation:
Middle-aged and elderly people should avoid excessive alcohol consumption and excessive intake of fatty and greasy foods. Their diet should be light to minimize the occurrence of hyperlipidemia.
Strengthen physical exercise:
Middle-aged and elderly people should pay attention to regular daily routines, have a balanced lifestyle, and emphasize physical exercise.
Maintain an optimistic mood:
Middle-aged and elderly people must maintain an open mind, keep a cheerful mood, calmly deal with situations, and remain composed.
Regular check-ups for middle-aged and elderly people:
Middle-aged and elderly people should have regular tests for blood lipids, blood sugar, hemorheology, and monitor blood pressure. Pay attention to warning signs.
3. Elderly people with heart disease may not wake up after falling asleep
When elderly people have heart disease, they may also experience not waking up after falling asleep. The main reason for this is that the brain is the command center of the body, coordinating all activities. When the brain lacks oxygen and blood supply due to the heart's failure to provide them, there will be abnormal metabolism in the brain. In particular, the cardiac function of elderly people is significantly impaired, causing the brain to be in a state of prolonged hypoxia. After hypoxia, the brain cannot provide energy to the wake-up nerves, resulting in the phenomenon of not waking up after falling asleep.
4. Elderly people with chronic diseases may not wake up after falling asleep
Experts also mentioned that when elderly people have chronic illnesses, they may also experience not waking up after falling asleep. For example, when elderly people have chronic nephritis, diabetes, chronic liver disease, or hypothyroidism. In such cases, the elderly person's metabolism will be greatly disrupted, becoming quite slow. As a result, toxic substances in the body cannot be excreted, which affects the regulation of the nervous system and causes the phenomenon of not waking up after falling asleep.
[Is excessive sleepiness normal for people with cerebral infarction?]
Generally, severe cerebral infarction patients will have limited mobility, and in more severe cases, they may even be unable to walk or take care of themselves. Some cerebral infarction patients may experience excessive sleepiness.
1. The feeling of sleepiness is a result of insufficient oxygen supply to the brain. Yawning is a reflection of the brain's need for rest due to hypoxia.
2. This is related to the poor blood circulation caused by cerebral infarction. Poor blood circulation in the brain can cause insufficient blood supply, leading to sleepiness and easy drowsiness.
3. Patients can take medications that improve microcirculation, such as Xuesaitong, Astragalus, and safflower, after the condition stabilizes.
4. Encourage patients to engage in active exercise. Get out of bed and start moving as soon as possible, and provide training guidance for activities such as getting up, balancing the affected limb, standing, and walking.
5. Gradually increase the range and frequency of activities, and eventually help with stairs training to promote functional recovery.
6. Conducive to functional recovery.
[What should elderly people do if they have cerebral infarction?]
Home care and treatment:
When the cerebral cells die due to ischemia and hypoxia caused by vascular occlusion, the longer the treatment is delayed, the larger the blocked blood vessels, and the more cerebral cells will die. Moreover, once cerebral cells die, they cannot regenerate. Therefore, although doctors take many proactive measures, patients inevitably suffer from varying degrees of disabilities, also known as "sequelae".
Take medication regularly and as prescribed to prevent the recurrence of cerebral thrombosis. After discharge, patients still need to take medication regularly as instructed by the doctor, control underlying diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, and have regular check-ups at the hospital.
Start rehabilitation treatment as early and actively as possible. As mentioned earlier, cerebral thrombosis will leave many sequelae, such as hemiplegia, hemiparesis, and aphasia. The effect of medication on these sequelae is very limited. However, through active and regular rehabilitation treatment, most patients can achieve self-care, and some can even return to work.
Daily life training is important. After illness, many previous habits are disrupted. In addition to training the affected limbs as early and properly as possible, it is also important to develop the potential of healthy limbs. For example, if a patient has right-sided hemiplegia and is used to using their right hand, they should be trained to use their left hand. Clothes should be loose and soft, and special styles can be sewn according to specific needs, such as adding zippers to the sleeves of the affected limb for easy blood pressure measurement during medical visits.
