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A stroke happens when blood circulation to the brain fails and brain cells die because of the lack of oxygen.
Strokes can kill, but they can also disable, sometimes leaving people paralysed on one side of the body, or unable to speak or take care of themselves.
Almost 80% of strokes are caused by a blockage of a blood vessel to the brain. This can be caused by a blood clot forming in the brain in the neck, or by a blood clot moving from another part of the body, or a severe narrowing of the artery in the brain. The second type of stroke is not caused by a blood clot or the narrowing of the arteries, but by bleeding into the brain.
There are some risk factors for stroke about which nothing can be done, such as age, race, gender or genetic predisposition.
Your stroke risk increases with age, and men are also more likely to have strokes than women are, but more women die from strokes, as they are often older than the men when this happens.
But there are definitely things which you can do to reduce your chances of having a stroke.
They include the following:
Stop smoking. Smoking can increase your risk of stroke up to four-fold, as it contributes to the build-up of fatty substances in the carotid artery leading to the brain. Smoking also increases the likelihood of your blood clotting.
Follow a balanced diet. Don’t eat more than 5g of salt per day. Also stay clear of foods containing lots of saturated fat, such as pies, sausages, fatty meat, butter, cream, certain cheeses, and cakes and biscuits. Some unsaturated fat, such as that found in oily fish, avocadoes and nuts will help reduce your cholesterol levels.
Check your blood pressure. High blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke. Hypertension causes atherosclerosis, which causes damage to the walls of the blood vessels. There are several lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your blood pressure, including weight loss, regular exercise, healthy eating (reduce salt intake) and the taking of blood-pressure medication.
Check your heart health. Many heart disorders can lead to the formation of blood clots that can cause a blockage in the brain. These include coronary artery disease, heart-valve problems, atrial fibrillation, and an enlarged heart. Atrial fibrillation, in particular can cause clots to form in the heart.
Keep your diabetes under control. If you are diabetic, it increases your stroke risk as diabetes causes damage to blood vessels throughout the body. Many diabetics also have hypertension.
Watch your cholesterol levels. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) carries cholesterol through the blood vessels. If there is excessive build-up of cholesterol in your arteries, this can lead to atherosclerosis, which is a leading risk factor for stroke.
A sedentary lifestyle. If you do no exercise, chances are higher that you would be carrying extra weight. Obesity in turn is a risk factor for hypertension, diabetes and heart problems. Half an hour of brisk walking a day will do much to reduce your stroke risk.
Drink in moderation. Drinking only one alcoholic drink a day can reduce your stroke risk, but if you drink more than two per day, your risk for having a stroke increases sharply.
Take some aspirin. A bit of aspirin every day helps preventing blood clots from forming in women over the age of 65. But don't take aspirin, or any medication for that matter, without consulting your doctor.
Strokes can kill, but they can also disable, sometimes leaving people paralysed on one side of the body, or unable to speak or take care of themselves.
Almost 80% of strokes are caused by a blockage of a blood vessel to the brain. This can be caused by a blood clot forming in the brain in the neck, or by a blood clot moving from another part of the body, or a severe narrowing of the artery in the brain. The second type of stroke is not caused by a blood clot or the narrowing of the arteries, but by bleeding into the brain.
There are some risk factors for stroke about which nothing can be done, such as age, race, gender or genetic predisposition.
Your stroke risk increases with age, and men are also more likely to have strokes than women are, but more women die from strokes, as they are often older than the men when this happens.
But there are definitely things which you can do to reduce your chances of having a stroke.
They include the following:
Stop smoking. Smoking can increase your risk of stroke up to four-fold, as it contributes to the build-up of fatty substances in the carotid artery leading to the brain. Smoking also increases the likelihood of your blood clotting.
Follow a balanced diet. Don’t eat more than 5g of salt per day. Also stay clear of foods containing lots of saturated fat, such as pies, sausages, fatty meat, butter, cream, certain cheeses, and cakes and biscuits. Some unsaturated fat, such as that found in oily fish, avocadoes and nuts will help reduce your cholesterol levels.
Check your blood pressure. High blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke. Hypertension causes atherosclerosis, which causes damage to the walls of the blood vessels. There are several lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your blood pressure, including weight loss, regular exercise, healthy eating (reduce salt intake) and the taking of blood-pressure medication.
Check your heart health. Many heart disorders can lead to the formation of blood clots that can cause a blockage in the brain. These include coronary artery disease, heart-valve problems, atrial fibrillation, and an enlarged heart. Atrial fibrillation, in particular can cause clots to form in the heart.
Keep your diabetes under control. If you are diabetic, it increases your stroke risk as diabetes causes damage to blood vessels throughout the body. Many diabetics also have hypertension.
Watch your cholesterol levels. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) carries cholesterol through the blood vessels. If there is excessive build-up of cholesterol in your arteries, this can lead to atherosclerosis, which is a leading risk factor for stroke.
A sedentary lifestyle. If you do no exercise, chances are higher that you would be carrying extra weight. Obesity in turn is a risk factor for hypertension, diabetes and heart problems. Half an hour of brisk walking a day will do much to reduce your stroke risk.
Drink in moderation. Drinking only one alcoholic drink a day can reduce your stroke risk, but if you drink more than two per day, your risk for having a stroke increases sharply.
Take some aspirin. A bit of aspirin every day helps preventing blood clots from forming in women over the age of 65. But don't take aspirin, or any medication for that matter, without consulting your doctor.
