When Speech Suddenly Becomes Slurred or Chest Pain Strikes... "Call 119 Immediately"

Beware of Stroke and Myocardial Infarction During the Holidays
High Risk for Older Adults and People with Underlying Conditions
Seek Immediate Medical Care if Symptoms Occur

If your speech suddenly becomes slurred, or you experience sudden weakness in one side of your face, arm, or leg, along with an unbearable headache, you should suspect a stroke and seek medical attention immediately. If you suddenly develop severe chest pain that feels like tightening or pressure, accompanied by shortness of breath, you should consider the possibility of a myocardial infarction and receive emergency care right away.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) urged on the 17th that if you or a family member show suspected symptoms of stroke or myocardial infarction during the Lunar New Year holidays, you must not delay and should call 119 for help to receive appropriate treatment.

Myocardial infarction and stroke are representative serious conditions that fall under heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, respectively. When there is a problem in the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain or the heart muscle, tissue damage occurs, which can lead to physical disability or death. According to Statistics Korea, heart disease and cerebrovascular disease are the second and fourth leading causes of death in Korea.

The incidence is also on the rise. In particular, it increases with age and is highest among the very elderly aged 80 and above. However, according to last year's Community Health Survey, the early symptom awareness rate for stroke was 60.7%, and for myocardial infarction it was 51.5%, meaning that only 5 to 6 out of 10 Korean adults are aware of the early symptoms.

The KDCA stressed that stroke and myocardial infarction symptoms often appear suddenly, and that if the following warning signs are observed, you should contact 119 immediately to receive appropriate treatment. If one side of the body suddenly becomes paralyzed and visual disturbance occurs, you should suspect a stroke. If you experience chest pain and a feeling of pressure, along with shortness of breath, you should suspect that these may be early symptoms of myocardial infarction.

If stroke and myocardial infarction are not dealt with properly in a timely manner, they can cause severe disability even in those who survive. In particular, in cold weather like now, blood vessels constrict and blood pressure rises, which increases the risk of occurrence, so it is important to detect and treat these conditions early to prevent death and disability.

Lim Seungkwan, Commissioner of the KDCA, said, "Because early symptoms appear suddenly, it is necessary to be familiar with the early symptoms of stroke and myocardial infarction in advance and respond quickly," adding, "We especially ask you to pay closer attention if there are high-risk individuals around you, such as older adults or people with underlying conditions like hypertension."