Every year, in France, 150,000 people suffer a stroke. Stroke represents the leading national cause of acquired disability in adults according to this Senate report. These impressive figures are due to a lack of prevention. If they were diagnosed immediately, mortality could be reduced by 30% and limit irreversible damage, according to Ameli.fr. A stroke is usually caused by a blocked blood vessel, which means that the brain is no longer irrigated. In an attempt to strengthen prevention and detection of warning signs, a 14-year-old American teenager, Naya Ellis has developed a watch capable of detecting them. Presentation of this invention which could be revolutionary!
Our young people have talent!
Naya Ellis lives in New Orleans, a community in Louisiana, where a science, technology and mathematics curriculum is required from kindergarten through 12th grade. This program, called STEM NOLA, is aimed in particular at scholarship students with low incomes. And it was during one of the training weekends that she had the idea of inventing a watch that could detect strokes before it is too late. This subject particularly touched her since her own grandmother had suffered a stroke.
Precise analysis of heartbeat
For the moment, the watch Naya Ellis is only a prototype resulting from a study program. His invention is called WingItt, and was a winner of the National STEM Challenge, proof of its future usefulness. In fact, the watch can detect heartbeats that become irregular. It would also be able to detect nerve impulses, another sign of a stroke. Naya Ellis does not wish, for the moment, to become an engineer or neurologist, but an obstetrician-gynecologist. As for his invention, if it became a mass-produced product, his only wish would be for it to be financially accessible to the elderly, and to people in need.
Warning signs of a stroke
We can all, one day or another, find ourselves in the situation where one of our loved ones suffers a stroke. Know how to detect the warning signs, it often means saving the life of your loved one. Stroke is usually not fatal and can be reversed with emergency surgery. Here are the main signs of a possible stroke:
- Numbness or weakness on one side of the body: the mouth drops to one side, one arm is suddenly numb, as if paralyzed.
- Speech is incoherent, incomprehensible or the person is unable to speak
- The person suddenly loses vision, or complains of a black veil in front of one eye.
- Severe headaches occur, sometimes with vomiting or loss of consciousness
- A sudden loss of balance, or lack of coordination of the limbs
- Inability to think, disorientation, loss of spatio-temporal references
If you detect these symptoms, or any of them, dial 15 (or 112) urgently. The intervention must take place in a very short time, to prevent irreversible brain damage, which could lead to death. Do you think this invention could see the light of day and revolutionize stroke prevention? We would love to read your thoughts or hear about your experience with this. And, if you notice an error in this article, do not hesitate to let us know. You can click here to post a comment.
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