7 Things to Do to prevent Getting a Stroke

A stroke is what happens in the brain when a blood vessel is blocked or burst, and it can be life threatening when this happens, there is no longer blood supply to these tissues and without oxygen and blood supply, the brain cells begin to die in minutes

You may have heard that the second stroke is worse than the first? This is true

So let’s talk about the things you may be doing that make it easier for you to get a stroke:

Your Diet

If your diet contains high amounts of the following, it is probably unhealthy and can increase the chances of you having a stroke

  • Salt
  • Fats (mainly saturated fats)
  • trans fats
  • cholesterol

Your diet should be high in fibre and contain at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, and keep an eye on your weight.

Your level of activity

The less active you are, the more you can get a stroke, so it is important that you have at least 2.5 hours of exercise every week to keep your risk at a low

Even the CDC recommends that. You should take them seriously, and take what we say seriously too

Walk when you can, drop the car keys, take a bicycle, get some activity into your life, sweat a little, sweat much, just get your heart pumping

Besides, sitting is the new smoking

Alcohol

If you take a lot of alcohol too, chances are that you might get a stroke, whatever you do, alcohol should always be taken in moderation, in small quantities, there are several recommendations for how much alcohol a person can take in a day

Not more than one drink a day for women and not more than 2 drinks per day for men

This disparity is because men seem to metabolize alcohol faster than women can and clear it out of their bloodstream

What is a drink? Find out here

Alcohol raises your blood pressure and triglyceride levels, which can cause atherosclerosis, an important factor in the development of a stroke or heart attack

Smoking

Every stick of cigarette or tobacco damages your heart, damages your blood vessels and increases the chances of you having a stroke, the nicotine in cigarettes can further increase your blood pressure

Things you may not be able to change

There are somethings that you cannot control when it comes to having a stroke, they are:

  • Family history. Some families have genetic issues that make them prone to having strokes like high blood pressure, hence it is important for you to know your family history.
  • Sex. More common in women than in men.
  • Age. The older you are, the more likely you are to get a stroke.
  • Race and ethnicity. African-Americans, Alaska Natives, and American Indians are more likely to have a stroke than Caucasians, Asian Americans, and Hispanics.

Your own history

If you have had this, your chances of a stroke are high:

  • a previous stroke
  • uncontrolled/high blood pressure
  • high levels of cholesterol in your blood
  • coronary artery disease
  • valve defects in your heart
  • sickle cell disease
  • diabetes

If you have any of this, it is important to have your doctor perform regular check-ups on you

Goodluck

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