JUST over a month ago, my eldest son died from a stroke. The doctors were unable to definitively diagnose the cause of the stroke, saying that the only risk factors they could find were cigarettes.
The day he collapsed, Akim told the doctor he had smoked half a pack of cigarettes and a joint. Akim has been smoking marijuana for decades and controlled his consumption.
He would roll a joint after he got home from work and light it after dinner; sometimes he would put it out, lighting it back later. His cigarette smoking was a recent habit and it was very casual. But a girlfriend confirmed that the habit had gotten worse
Akim began to smoke cigarettes heavily, while they were both trying to quit smoking weed.
That was so ironic. “Just as we been getting we life together, this happened,” she told me in an agonised voice.
It all began over a month ago, when Akim began to have headaches. They persisted to the point where he was advised to visit the doctor and have a check-up. He agreed but simply kept postponing it. I am a cigarette smoker who had given up the habit for over a decade. But when I heard of my son’s collapse, I went and bought a pack of cigarettes, and I lit one immediately.
After my son’s sudden and unexpected death – a slim and healthy man- I began to look into brain diseases and their causes. But I am primarily concerned about people doing regular checkups and heeding the warning that all is not well.
When we consider that the mind rules the body and the brain is the seat of the mind, then we should pay attention to the brain.
We readily visit doctors for physical ailments but seem to think that our brains are immune. We get a headache; we take a couple of painkillers. When the headache returns, we still ignore it and use an opioid.
We pay scant attention to the fact that the brain is the complex control centre of the human body, that regulates thoughts, memories, movement and automotive life functions.
Specialists speak of five signs that indicate your brain may be under severe strain or ” experiencing a medical issue”.
These include sudden, severe headaches, sudden vision changes, unexplained weakened numbness, trouble speaking or new seizures. Oxygen deprivation is the main killer of brain cells, causing cardiac arrest, stroke or severe asphyxiation. Immediate medical attention should be sought if any of these signs are detected.
The human brain is the central organ of the nervous system and, along with the spinal cord, makes up the central nervous system. The brain is not a muscle. It contains blood vessels and nerves. Weighing about three pounds, it is about 60 per cent water. The remaining 40 per cent is a combination of water, protein, carbs and salts.
I cannot emphasise enough the importance of the brain and the vital importance of heeding the signs that say something is wrong. Do not try to self- heal or self- medicate. Get a check-up and find out whether something is wrong.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.
