Emergency Cases

Angry Aunt


"Ever since my uncle passed away, my aunt has been suffering from severe mood swing. She ate on impulse, and often scolded others using foul and abusive languages. My whole family was very concerned about her health, but every time we tried to comfort her, we would be scolded by her. She was later diagnosed with stroke. It’s lucky that she was sent to hospital on time which helped saving her life. But doctor said her speech and mobility might never be fully recovered."

Inadequate blood circulation in the brain will prevent oxygen flow to brain tissues and cause brain damage. If the brain area that controls movements is affected, the patient may not be able to walk properly. Speech, facial muscles and vision might all be affected if respective parts of the brain were damaged. For severe cases, patients may not breathe properly and die from suffocation.

If patient is treated when these symptoms begin to emerge, there is a better chance of reducing stroke severity and even achieve complete recovery. Recovery is a gradual process and varies from person to person. Although the patient mentioned above has not been fully recovered from her stroke, she has gradually regained her mobility and speech. During her recovery, she scolded less because her speech was affected, and as a result, her relationship with family members improved and they became more harmonious.

By Dr Ho Kin Kei
Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Union Hospital
[19/3/2014, AM730]

(This article is translated from Dr Ho Kin Kei’s original article in Chinese.)