The
second most common cause of death among Koreans of all ages after cancer is
stroke, according to figures released by Statistics Korea.
/ Korea Times photo
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By
Kelly Frances
For many of us, the prospect of having a stroke conjures up
images of ‘much older folks’ with protruding bellies. Seldom do we think of such
things in our 20s and 30s; after all, Koreans famously soldier through intense
workdays, followed by after-work drinking and dining (hoesik), yet still make it
to work on time.
What Korean-American lecturer Michael Hurt, 40, came to
realize, is that the choices we make during our youth matter. Having recently
survived a hemorrhagic stroke, Hurt is swift to warn others about being
nonchalant about health.
“Waking up with my entire left side paralyzed
would be the
stand-out moment for me," he recalled. “Not being able to go
to the bathroom like a normal person, or even alone, or even shower - this will
put Old Testament fear into anyone.”
“My thing is now that I am so happy
to be alive that I don't see any reason why someone would do something that they
may find themselves regretting in a hospital bed, similar to me, later in
life.”
Officially, the cause of Hurt’s stroke was traced to undiagnosed
high
blood pressure, although his caregivers described the events as “a
perfect storm of factors”.
“I can't discount the fact that being
overweight was a factor," he said.
“The convergence of a lot of factors,
some general and related to my overall state of health, and some specific, all
likely converged into that fateful night when my head exploded from the
inside.”
For Hurt, it was the wakeup call he needed to put his health
habits on track, but it came at a steep cost, shocking those around him and
inspiring some with similar habits to head back to the gym.
“I admit that
it was Mike’s stroke that got me back into working out," said American Chris
Sanders, a 35-year-old lecturer. “It was close to home, and I had been getting
lazy.”
Experts caution that Korea is becoming a stroke-friendly nation
due to dietary trends and modernization.
“Korea now has a high incidence
of stroke among OECD counties and increase is quite recent”, explains
Cardiologist Oh Hyung-Tae of Ilsan Gospel General Hospital.
“Usually,
the prevalent stroke type in Western countries is embolic infarction (which
occurs in a major vessel such as the heart) as opposed to intracranial
infarction (occurring in the brain), which is more common in Korea. But
incidence of embolic infarction is increasing in Korea.”
Oh chalks it up
largely to diet and the stress that accompanies modernization.
“Koreans
eat too much salt; usually 3-4 times the recommended daily dose. Furthermore, we
have become a highly competitive, material, and modern society, and we are
paying the price through our stress levels.”
Hurt wholeheartedly echoed
the sentiment.
“Koreans often say, “health is the most important. To a
lot of us 30 and 40 somethings, many of whom are floating along without proper
health care without giving enough thought to the importance of health, I would
say to stop in your tracks and rethink that attitude.”
“If for some
reason you have a medical mishap or something happen to you, it's amazing how
quickly all those things you thought were important become completely secondary
to something like walking, being able to wash yourself, or even just going to
the bathroom by oneself.”
Hurt says he emerged from the ordeal a changed
man.
After receiving primary treatment at St. Mary's Hospital in Yeouido,
treatment he describes as “top-notch”, Hurt spent 3 days in intensive care
followed by 2 months in a general hospital ward undergoing physical and
occupational therapy.
These days, he spends his days engaging in intense
exercise, and is continuing to lose weight.
“I plan to make sure that
there is no chance of this reoccurring, and am working hard to make sure my
heart is healthy.”
“I see this as a blessing and a good status to
maintain with a healthy diet and frequent exercise. That's easy to say, but
after you've woken up half paralyzed and told you nearly died, you take that
stuff seriously.”
What to do if someone near you is experiencing a
stroke
“Contrary to popular belief, needling the fingers is useless and
can be wasting of precious time," advised Oh. “Any forceful administration of
food or herbs can easily cause asphyxia or Aspiration pneumonia and can be
fatal.”
Oh said that when it comes to stroke, patients would do well to
seek professional assistance instead of taking the matter in their own hands.
“Just calling 119 is best. Time is the most critical factor for treatment and
recovery.”
According to Oh, most Korean food is healthy if salt intake is
controlled.
“Korean food is often fermented, consisting of dietary fiber
and protein. For example, bi-bim-bap (mixed rice) and jap-chae (stir-fried
noodles with vegegatbles) provide good combinations of vegetables, meat and
carbs.”
Korean food, however, is not monotonously vegetarian, said Oh.
“If people want to eat meat, bo-ssam (roasted pork wrapped in lettuce) is a good
choice as it uses boiled meat and has lots of vegetables. To increase
vegetables, na-mul (seasoned vegetable dish) is a good choice. Ingredients such
as tofu and soybean paste are excellent, as is drinking green
tea.”
The writer is a guest columnist from Ontario, Canada, and is
currently living in Seoul. She welcomes topic suggestions from readers and can
be reached by kellyfrancesm@gmail.com. |
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