In the United States alone, nearly 700,000 strokes occur each year, and many of these could be prevented. Preventing a stroke consists in addressing numerous risk factors. Age, gender, ethnicity and family history can all be contributing factors. These are risks you can't control, but luckily there are factors you can control through medication and a lifestyle change.
Steps
Step 1. Keep hypertension under control
Work with your doctor. Maintain a healthy diet, do physical activity every day, stop smoking, reduce the salt you add to food, and keep track of your weight. Try to keep your blood pressure at normal levels.
Step 2. Check your blood sugar for diabetes
Diabetics have a higher risk of having a stroke. You can reduce the risks of getting diabetes by monitoring your diet and exercising regularly to maintain an optimal weight.
Step 3. Don't smoke
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of stroke.
Step 4. Check your cholesterol level
Follow a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fiber. Maintain normal body weight, and exercise regularly. Check your cholesterol level every 4-5 years (even more often if you know it's high).
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Try dividing the main meal: order a healthy appetizer, a salad or vegetables as a main course, or "halve it"; only prepare the amount of one serving so as not to be tempted to overeat. Don't eat in front of the TV, but sit at the table with more awareness and chew slowly.
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Step 5. Limit your alcohol consumption
Abusing alcoholic beverages can increase the risk of hypertension, diabetes and stroke, in addition to all other diseases related to alcoholism. Drink in moderation.
Step 6. Maintain a healthy weight
Eat less, and lighter, healthier foods, and exercise more. If you are obese or struggling to stick to a diet, talk to your doctor about introducing salads and vegetables to your main dish - but don't add overly fatty dressings, gravies and sauces. Stop eating these low-nutritional foods. Avoid processed and white foods, such as sugar, bread, pasta, sweets, etc. Choose whole foods and eat cheese and meat in limited quantities. Instead, eat a yogurt, a couple of nuts, and a few seeds every day. Consult a nutritionist or join a weight loss support group.
Step 7. Be aware that if you have atrial fibrillation (AF) your risk of a stroke is much greater, as you may not have obvious symptoms (but it's still just as dangerous when you don't see symptoms)
An irregular heart rhythm in the upper chambers causes hidden clots, and usually a fast or very rapid heartbeat. Even mild atrial fibrillation can safely create lumps in a "pocket" in the atria that can rupture and cause a stroke or damage other vital organs.
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Attention: if you suffer from FA, "the risk of stroke increases 4 to 5 times for all age groups (young or old), resulting in 10 to 15% of ischemic strokes (which occur due to lack of blood supply), but also nearly "25% of strokes in people over the age of 80." Obviously, 75-85% of strokes are not caused by AF and increase with age. Your doctor can recommend appropriate therapy and medications.
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Advice
- Learn to recognize the 5 main symptoms of stroke. These signs appear suddenly and the victim may have one or more of them at the same time. Search for:
- Numbness (or weakness or immobility) usually of only one side of the face or body: an arm or a leg.
- Unusual confusion, difficulty speaking or responding to others.
- Sudden visual impairment in one or both eyes.
- Unexplained inability to walk, dizziness or lack of coordination.
- Unusual and severe headache of unknown cause.
- Genetics play an important role in risk factors. If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease in your family, tell your doctor; always be alert and eat healthy.
- If you are not in good physical condition (or low on energy, take beta blockers, blood thinners, etc.), talk to your doctor about taking short but frequent exercise sessions every day to build endurance. necessary, up to 10-15 minutes each time, resting between one effort and another.
- Walking as little as 30 minutes a day, 4-5 times a week, can bring valuable changes that help reduce the risk of stroke, making high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease less likely. cardiovascular disease, if you are able to perform them); start exercising slowly, then pick up the pace when it is easy for you.
- If you believe someone is having a stroke, immediately call 911 or the appropriate emergency number.
- A proper diet begins with increasing the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables, reducing salt (sodium) intake and introducing less saturated fat and cholesterol.
- Never eat creamy, succulent foods that contain "triglycerides" called "trans fatty acids" (trans fats). These are made with "bad" oils to be made into creamy margarine. Like? They are "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated". They are used in delicious junk foods (creamy glazes, sauces and desserts, cakes, donuts etc.), which improve the flavor: they are richer and more fluid (but definitely more unhealthy). Why is this such a big deal? This food is truly deadly to the heart, causing cardiovascular and brain attacks over time.
Warnings
- A stroke can cause permanent disability or death.
- Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States.
