Top 10 Facts About Charlie Chaplin
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Famed for his bowler hat, cane, tight coat and waddling walk, Chaplin rose to prominence in the era of silent film. Soon becoming known as his screen persona The Tramp, the star spent his final years surrounded by his family in Switzerland. At the time the family’s doctor described the star’s death, on Christmas day 1977, as “peaceful and calm” after years of failing health leaving Chaplin confined to a wheelchair. At the time, shortly after his death, Chaplin’s wife Oona shared: “All the presents were under the tree. Charlie gave so much happiness and, although he had been ill for a long time, it is so sad that he should have passed away on Christmas Day.”
Despite the sadness which accompanied his death, Chaplin had suffered from numerous strokes in the lead up to his death.
Having had limited speech, sight and hearing, Chaplin was put on oxygen not long before his death due to a deterioration in his breathing.
Having lived in relatively good health until the age of 85, Chaplin’s son Michael told Express.co.uk back in 2007 that towards the end the star was “ready to go”.
He shared: “In his final years he drifted into himself. He was in a wheelchair. He died in bed, in his sleep.”
DON’T MISS: Cancer symptoms: Feel that? Two ‘general’ signs of cancer that can be ‘felt’ on the body
Approximately 25 percent of strokes occur during sleep. This means that for many individuals, there is no way for medical professionals to detect when the condition started.
For a severe condition like a stroke, this is especially important as individuals need treatment as soon as possible to avoid long-term damage or death.
A stroke that strikes during sleep is often referred to as a “wake-up stroke” and in these cases, most people go to bed feeling normal, but wake up with symptoms of the condition.
There are two main causes of a stroke which are defined by the NHS. They are:
- Ischaemic – where the blood supply is stopped because of a blood clot, accounting for 85 percent of all cases
- Haemorrhagic – where a weakened blood vessel supplying the brain bursts.
Despite the slightly different causes of a stroke, the common theme is that strokes occur when the brain is starved of oxygen. If the supply of blood is restricted or stopped, brain cells begin to die. This can lead to brain injury, disability and possibly death.
A wake-up stroke is generally considered to have the same causes as other types of stroke, but researchers have identified a few factors that may put individuals at risk of having a wake-up stroke in comparison to a stroke that occurs when the individual is awake.
These risk factors include:
- Age
- Sleep disorders
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol levels
- Smoking.
In fact, the role of sleep disorders and wake-up strokes is still an active area of research for experts. According to a study published back in 2021 in the American Heart Association journal, researchers found sleep problems were more likely to occur among women, smokers, people with other health conditions and those who have strokes at older ages.
A condition known as sleep apnoea – where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during the night – is particularly a risk factor for wake-up stroke in comparison to other types of stroke.
In 2021, researchers analysed 185 studies of sleep disorders among stroke survivors. This covered 64,047 people experiencing interrupted or shallow breathing during sleep, insomnia, periodic leg movement and restless leg syndrome.
Results found that people who had strokes or mini-strokes had a higher prevalence than the general public of these conditions long after the stroke occurred.
In addition, one study found that those who had wake-up strokes were more likely to snore (90.5 percent) than those who had strokes while awake (70 percent). Due to these results, Michael Grandner, director of the Sleep and Health Research Programme at the University of Arizona in Tucson commented that sleep problems can “highlight” not only brain but heart problems too.
Although symptoms of wake-up stroke do not occur at the time, individuals may wake up experiencing the following:
- Facial drooping, often only on one side
- Arm or leg weakness
- Speech difficulties
- Dizziness
- Vision disturbances
- Confusion
- Incontinence (inability to control urine).
It is critical that individuals seek medical attention when they wake up if they experience any of the above symptoms as they may require urgent treatment.
Due to the uncertainty around the time the stroke took place, treatment for wake-up strokes usually involve a CT scan and MRI scan. From there, a treatment known as reperfusion – to restore blood flow to an organ or tissue – is used.
Recovery for wake-up strokes follow a similar pattern as other strokes. Factors like the location in the brain and the extent of damage from a wake-up stroke will all affect an individual’s recovery process.
Source: Read Full Article