'Regular smoking, drinking can cause ischemic strokes'

MYSORE: Regular smoking and drinking can cause ischemic stroke wherein a clot in the brain can stop blood supply to that area of the brain, said Dr Maqsood Ahmed, neurosurgeon at Vikram Hospital.
Dr Ahmed was speaking at a special lecture programme on 'Neurological disorders - Prevention is better than cure' organized by Mysore Insurance Institute on the 25th annual day celebrations of Mysore Insurance Institute at LIC of India Divisional office here in Mysore.
He urged smokers to kick the habit saying it was a major cause for brain hemorrhage.
The neurosurgeon also asked people to wear helmet, seat belts, avoid using mobiles while driving and obey all traffic rules as these prevent accidents. Quoting statistics, he said following traffic rules reduced accident-related fatalities due to head injuries among two-wheeler riders by 10%
He advised individuals with sedentary jobs and lifestyles to be wary of occupational hazards and for those who sit for long hours to adopt the right postures of sitting.
In a question and answer session of the program, to a query on Whether reasonable consumption of alcohol is salubrious, the surgeon let the question pass by doesn't have an answer for that and explained that in the case of chronic smokers and drinkers, the brain shrinks to smaller size and heart enlarges over the years by the age of 40 years by when the 40 year old brain will have become like an 80 year old brain, forgetfulness and loss of memory are the very common symptoms of such cases, he explained.