Dear Friends,

Through this article, we will be discussing on the terrifying Sudden Deaths in Young People - This is the time to be alert.
'He was fine till yesterday. I don't know what happened today. He died suddenly...'
These pitiful words are not new to any of us. But they used to come to our ears only occasionally in the past.
Not so now.
After many years, I met a school friend by chance in a restaurant. After completing his schooling, his family had shifted to Chennai. He had an older brother. We used to play cricket together in our childhood. While both of us were talking about many things, I asked, 'How is your brother?'
'He has been dead for three years,' he said.
I was shocked.
'What happened?'
'I don't know...sudden death' he said and fell silent. I did not expect it at all.
‘How can the cause not be known… why not do a postmortem?’ I said.
He shook his head as if to say ‘no’.
I understood that he did not want to talk about it further.
The word ‘Sudden Death’ kept running through my mind the whole day.
This ‘sudden death’ has been a major problem for doctors for ages. But now, it has transformed into a giant monster and is threatening the world.
We have long believed that sudden death is more common in the elderly. Recent events have shattered that belief. Yes… now the victims of sudden death are people between the ages of 18 and 40!
So, what is sudden death?
The ‘International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD)’ describes it as: ‘A death that occurs within one hour of onset of symptoms’. That is, death that occurs within one hour of the onset of symptoms.
For example, if a person suffering from a heart attack dies within an hour of the onset of chest pain, it is sudden death. If a person dies within the next hour due to shortness of breath, lung failure, and then dies, it is also sudden death.
A recent study on this sudden death was conducted in the state of Chandigarh. The study says this:
1. Sudden deaths in young people have increased by 10 percent in the last five years.
2. It targets men in their thirties.
3. If you are addicted to drugs like smoking, alcohol, and cannabis, then this will definitely knock on your door.
4. Physical problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity can also be the cause of this.
5. Stress and anxiety significantly increase the risk of these deaths.
The study also points out some other news.
1. These sudden deaths occur at night and in the early hours of the morning.
2. Most deaths occur at home.
3. These deaths occur most frequently on Wednesdays and Thursdays (midweek).
That's right, what is the reason for such panic-inducing deaths?
80 percent of deaths occur due to heart problems. That is, heart failure.

Although there are many reasons for young deaths, I will only list two important things that are currently shaking the country.
1. Gym deaths
2. Drug deaths

1. Gym deaths
In the last five years alone, thousands of people have died while exercising in the gym.
In 2021, the death of Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar while exercising in the gym caused a stir. As similar news stories continued to come one after another, 'gym deaths' became a huge topic of conversation. Many people put forward various reasons.
But there is also an important psychological reason for this.
Yes...our body secretes a hormone called 'endorphin'. It is secreted from the brain during happy situations. It is also secreted in large quantities during exercise.
'Well, what does that have to do with deaths?' you ask?
There is a point. Exercise should not be done out of obligation but voluntarily. Only then will endorphin kick in. But, in this fast-paced world, many people even squeeze exercise into their timetable. They run on the treadmill saying 'mangu mangu. ( so so hard)..' and are forced to 'definitely do this...'.
Therefore, they do not secrete 'endorphin'. Instead, another hormone called 'adrenaline' is secreted, which causes tension and stress.
The result...a tear occurs in a heart artery that is just 2 millimeters in diameter. What happens next? Life ends in just three minutes.
I have seen many people who go to the gym only when they gain weight. They will be '"spending much" for two to three months continuously. During that time, due to excessive exercise, the water content in the body will decrease rapidly. It will be a disaster for life!
Exercise should be done on a daily basis. It should not be done out of compulsion or in the middle of a turbulent mood.

What is the solution to this?
One should not exercise for too long. One should not exercise too hard for one's nature. The only solution to this is to avoid doing strenuous exercises.
Also, those who have pre-existing heart problems should consult a doctor before paying the gym 'fee'.

2. Drug-induced deaths
A few months ago, the police seized five lakh illicitly smuggled narcotics in a village near Rameswaram. Not five lakh worth of narcotics, but five lakh!
Nowadays, we do not give much importance to such news. Because 'addiction' has become a common thing now.
But many people are not aware of the dark world behind it. It is only when someone in our family becomes addicted to narcotics and struggles to recover from it that we understand the seriousness of it.
There are many types of narcotics. Among them, there are drugs like opioids and cocaine that directly affect the heart. Drug addicts mix such substances with salt water called 'normal saline' and inject them into the body through an injection. Normal saline is nothing more than a glucose bottle used in hospitals.
A few days ago, a young man of about twenty years old came to see me. His father was also with him.
The young man was dark-skinned. Five feet tall. Curly hair. His eyes were tired. There were dark circles around them. His mouth was dry. He was wearing a full shirt. He had tattoo marks on both his arms.
The conversation between us was:
'Tell me what's wrong?'
'I can't sleep, sir..'
'Why?'
'I don't know...'
Immediately, his father slapped the young man on the cheek with a 'slap' and said, 'Don't you know why you can't sleep... Tell the doctor what's wrong...' I tried to calm him down and urged him to be patient.
After a while, the young man admitted to using drugs. I didn't think much of it, as I had expected this before. But what he said next was something I didn't expect at all.
'Sir...I went to the doctor to see him because I had a fever for a week. I told him about my drug use. He immediately asked me to take an HIV test...'
'Did you take it?'
'I did'
Their face betrayed what the results would be. Think about the situation of the father sitting nearby.
This is the dangerous situation in injecting drugs. 'Needle sharing'. That is, someone else uses the same needle that was used by one person. If the first person has diseases like HIV/AIDS, it can also be transmitted to him through the injection.
Not only HIV/AIDS; this includes many diseases that weaken the heart. Those who suffer from a disease called 'Infectious Endocarditis' can die suddenly.
So, is sudden death due to heart problems the only cause?
No.
In fact, in one-third of these deaths, the exact cause is not known. That is, even after a postmortem, no clue is found. This is called a 'negative postmortem'.
While such deaths are causing panic on one hand, today's '2K kids' are starting to adopt new habits. In particular, their diet is changing on a large scale.
They are eating biryani in the middle of the night, mixing ice cream with curd rice, and adding Coca-Cola to their chili protein. Ordering food on the spot has become convenient for them.
What happens to the body if you eat biryani with eggplant paste at midnight when you are dreaming? The basic functions of the body are disrupted, right? That is what is happening.
Today's youth, when it comes to food, are moving their lives on the three 'S's' of 'Cheese, Pies, and Bubs'.
Cheese - They sprinkle cheese on pizza and burgers like they sprinkle paneer on guests. They go by various names like 'Cheese Burst', 'Extra Loaded Cheese', 'Cheese Volcano'.
Cheese contains a large amount of 'Saturated Fat', a bad fat. If it mixes with the blood, it increases the cholesterol level drastically. This increases the chances of a heart attack.
Pies - Today, the essential food of Tamils ​​is Biryani. Eating Biryani every day is one of the proud things. Don't laugh. That's what many people think. In fact, the oil, ghee, and meat fat (pie) used in Biryani can all increase bad cholesterol. The result? Heart attack.
Puffs - Our days don't go by without going to the bakery. What is there...only maida!

Maida is a flour made by removing all the fiber, vitamins, and minerals from wheat. So, although it is delicious, it is very harmful to the body. It causes diabetes and is an indirect factor in the development of risks such as heart attacks.
Just avoid taking these three 'S' frequently; the 'fees' you have to give to the doctor will be reduced by half!
When talking about 'sudden death in youth', it is impossible not to talk about Corona. Some say that such deaths have increased only after Corona. Still others say, 'This series of deaths is happening because of the Corona vaccine...'.
In fact, the truth is that we do not have clear research results on this. Even in the Chandigarh study that I mentioned above, there was no much talk about the connection between Corona and these deaths.
There is no major research conducted in Tamil Nadu on sudden deaths in youth. Medical researchers should take this into account.
One thing is certain. The changing lifestyle is the reason for everything. Be it hasty exercise, drug addiction, or dietary changes, all are changes of the times!
It is difficult to change this situation. But if we just take a little care of ourselves; this is also possible.