Stroke is one of the deadliest diseases caused by insufficient flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain. This will start creating damage inside the brain and can cause death within a few hours if not detected and treated immediately. The risk of having a stroke increases with certain factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, and family history. Studies show that the most at risk are people with older age, women, Blacks and Hispanics, and those with stroke in their family history. But stroke can happen to anyone, anytime so it is important to uphold a healthy lifestyle to lower the risk even when the mentioned factors apply to you. Fortunately, this healthy lifestyle has always been recommended as a preventative measure for many other diseases and should benefit your overall health. Here are some changes you can make to avoid the possibility of having a stroke:
Previous Case of Stroke
When you have suffered from a stroke at least once before, there is a greater risk of getting another one in the future. This is why you have to look into different measures to lower the risk of another stroke as much as possible. Of course, the following tips can help but the best options would be to consult with your doctor and/or check into a cardiovascular or neurological disorders treatment facility to address the risks and identify the other possible causes. This will also give you insight into other possible preventive measures that you can take for your specific health conditions.
Manage Other Health Conditions
Your other health conditions can also increase the risk of having a stroke. Because stroke is primarily an issue in the blood flow to the brain, conditions that affect your blood like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other heart diseases have to be managed as well. This is where your constant communication with your doctor will come in as they can help to keep you healthy for longer while also managing your risk for stroke.
Balanced Diet
Diet is always a factor in the many health conditions that plague humanity. The food that you eat has to be healthy for the body to ensure that you are living life the best way possible. To avoid a stroke, you should look into eating more fruits, vegetables, and other protein- and fiber-rich foods. On the other hand, you should avoid junk foods that are all either sugary, salty, or fatty, which can further aggravate your health in other aspects especially when you have other health conditions. Your diet should typically consist of balanced vitamins and nutrients to keep you strong against most kinds of diseases.
Exercise
Along with the food you eat, you must maintain a healthy weight to avoid diseases like stroke. Exercise can help with this as you are burning off those calories that can increase heart problems that may lead to a stroke. Doing a simple exercise or active home activities can be enough for older individuals but engaging in 150 minutes of moderate exercise or more can give you those health benefits that protect against most illnesses. Talk to your doctor about the appropriate amount of exercise for your unique conditions.
Avoid Vices
Vices like alcohol and smoking can put you at greater risk of suffering from a stroke. Alcohol for one can cause your heart to beat irregularly which can hinder blood flow to your brain. Smoking on the other hand can clog the airways and bloodstream and let the body absorb different chemical substances that can damage the cells in the body. Avoiding these vices should keep you away from stroke and other diseases while also keeping the people around you healthy.
Generally, stroke can be prevented. Over 50% of stroke cases can be prevented with the listed lifestyle changes above. But because it can still happen to anyone, it is crucial to know the FAST test to detect the major symptoms of a stroke. FAST stands for: Face, smile to see if one side is drooping; Arms, raising both arms forward to see if one arm is dropping down; Speech, saying a phrase out loud to see if words are slurred; and Time, contacting emergency assistance immediately and taking note of when the symptoms were noticed.
Knowing this kind of information can help to save lives, even those who are least likely to suffer from the disease. So once you’ve learned the FAST test and the other symptoms of stroke, do try to spread the knowledge to friends and family to keep everyone prepared for this deadly disease.
