Sunny Health

In the 9 pm Mediacorp Drama "Life is Beautiful", a 25-year-old man fell victim to stroke which paralysed half of his body. Almost everyone who knew was in disbelief. How is it possible for a strong, healthy youth who was not overweight, to be hit by an "old person's sickness"?

The sad truth is, many youths these days are no longer as healthy as their ancestors in their younger days were. Many of them lead stressful lifestyles, do not eat healthily, and do not get sufficient quality rest and sleep. The 25-year-old in question was a chef who worked irregular hours, had a penchant for sugary things and slept only two hours a day.

These days, the three highs, or 三高 as the Chinese call it - high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high sugar level, are no longer "privileges" of the elderly population. Heck, even young people are getting dementia these days, but we'll discuss this in the next post. The point is, age is not an immunity, and we must not take our youthful bodies for granted by ruining our health with poor lifestyle habits.

Age remains a risk factor for stroke, but around the world, there have been cases of stroke occurring in infants, children, adolescents and young adults. In fact, the rate of stroke has been increasing for young and middle-aged people between 20 and 54 years of age. In children, stroke is still rare and usually caused by underlying health problems like infections, trauma, heart disorders, sickle cell disease, and dehydration, according to everydayhealth.com

And while young people do take a shorter time to almost complete recovery, as compared to an elderly stroke patient, the effects are devastating and often life-changing. It could mean financial problems especially if the person is a breadwinner or has a family to support, major disruptions in life, be it in your career, social life etc. It is especially crushing for an independent adult to develop a long-term disability out of the blue.

Preventing strokes in young adults

Go for annual body check-ups to identify underlying health problems.

Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight. Obesity increases risk levels for stroke, along with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, all potential triggers for stroke. You should see a doctor for help with effective weight management.

Recognise symptoms of and control diabetes. It is important to go for regular check-ups if there's a history of diabetes in your family.

Eat lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods. Avoid food high in saturated fat.

Stay away from drugs and smoking. Alcohol should only be consumed on an occasional basis, and in moderation. Yes, beer too. Beer contains lots of empty (useless) calories!

Get sufficient sleep, at least 6 to 8 hours a day.

Take it easy and don't let the stress get to you. Look at the bigger picture. Partial paralysis is a much more serious problem than a screaming customer.

Make time for your favourite past times that will help you relax. Yoga and meditation are tried and tested methods that help to empty the mind and calm your body, promoting overall wellness.


Good health management in your youth will lead to a healthier and more productive silver age. On the other hand, poor health management in your younger days, will snowball into much more serious issues in the old age. Would you rather spend the silver years enjoying fresh air and a walk in a park, or bed-ridden in a stale room? The choice is surely not hard to make.