In our daily lives, we often hear our relatives or other acquaintances suffering a stroke. A stroke connotes a situation when there is a sudden disruption in the blood supply to the brain. Most strokes result from a sudden blockage of the arteries which lead to the brain. This condition has a better medical term. It is also known as an Ischemic Stroke. Some other kinds of strokes are caused by the bleeding tissues in the brain due to the sudden bursting of the blood vessels. This condition is known as the haemorrhagic stroke. Now, whatever be the medical situation, prompting the stroke, we have to opt for certain lifestyle changes to prevent or reduce the rates of occurrence.
How to Recognise the Signs of a Stroke?
Though every different people have different symptoms of a stroke, they occur suddenly most of the times. Different parts of our brain are responsible for controlling the different parts of our body and this is the reason why the symptoms are varied. The symptoms depend on the affected parts of the brain as well as the extent of the damage caused. We can take the help of the word FAST to remember the symptoms:
- F stands for face– The face may start dropping on one of the sides and the affected person may not be able to conduct any facial movement. Their mouth or eyes may also start drooping.
- A stands for arms-There might be weakness or numbness in the arms and the affected person may face difficulty in lifting them.
- S stands for speech: The speech starts getting slurred and the person will not be able to talk even if he tries hard. They also start having comprehension problems.
- T stands for time to call for medical help: If the patient shows any of these symptoms, please take him to the hospital immediately. Even if the symptoms goes away, it is advisable to seek emergency medical services immediately.
Some other symptoms might also be attributed to a stroke attack. It includes complete paralysis of any side of the body, confusion, dizziness, problems with coordination and balance, dysphagia, loss of consciousness etc.
Serious Changes in Lifestyle
Many of us may attribute divine intervention or destiny to the occurrence of a stroke in our known people. We may also conclude that nothing could have been done to avoid it. But, are we aware of the fact that a stroke can be prevented by incorporating some healthy changes in our lifestyle?
One of the best ways to prevent a stroke is to make positive changes in our lifestyle. We can start eating a healthy diet, avoid too much drinking and smoking and exercise regularly to avoid getting affected by certain medical ailments. Often life gives a second chance and people might have recovered from a first stroke. Bringing about lifestyle changes is important for them, as well.
- A change in diet: An unhealthy diet is very much responsible for increasing the chances of having a stroke. This is because the unhealthy components can increase the levels of cholesterol as well as blood pressure. The medical practitioners recommend a high-fibre and low-fat diet. This kind of diet usually comprises whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. Eating a balanced diet is equally important. Eating too much of a single kind of food is not recommended. This advice works preferably for processed foods and foods high in salt.
- Exercising: Engaging in physical activities, especially exercising is a very good way of maintaining a healthy weight as well as staying away from unnecessary health complications. We should also be aware of the fact that exercising is also good for preventing strokes. Regular exercise can not only help in lowering cholesterol levels but also stabilises high pressure. For most of us, a two and half hour of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week is quite preferable. Cycling and walking fast are the best aerobic activities, we can indulge in. Exercising also helps in fast recovery of the patients, who have recently suffered a stroke.
- Stop smoking: Smoking is a malicious activity, which increases the risks of having a stroke. This is because smoking narrows down the walls of the arteries and enhances the risks of blood clotting. When we stop smoking, we can reduce the risks of being affected by stroke, besides improving our general health conditions.
- Cutting down on alcohol consumption: When we depend on alcohol consumption, to a great extent, we are building a conducive environment for strokes to occur. Alcohol consumption leads to high blood pressure and prompt atrial fibrillation or irregular heartbeat, the conditions which increase the risks of suffering a stroke. Heavy drinking increases the risks of stroke as alcoholic drinks are high in calories.
- Never provide an excuse to miss your medicines: Often, the doctors prescribe us certain medications to help protect our body from certain impending medical ailments. We should never be so busy in our lives to forget eating these medicines.
Our present-day lifestyle is in a great way responsible for a large number of medical complications we suffer from. When we bring about healthy changes in it, we reduce the risks of suffering from them. Strokes have become quite common and to reduce the chances of them affecting us or our near and dear ones, we should maintain a healthy lifestyle.
If you have any health queries related to Stroke Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, Neurological Diseases in the Elderly and General Medicine, or need medical information, please don’t hesitate to Ask a Doctor Online
References:
https://www.webmd.com/stroke/features/stroke-prevention-lifestyle-tips#2
https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/8-things-you-can-do-to-prevent-a-stroke