Tips on Stroke Prevention

By Julie Armstrong

Many people each day all around the world suffer from strokes. It can be fatal and even if it's not, the aftermath is very difficult to deal with and can severely alter lives. This is why stroke prevention is very important because every person should want to lessen their risk of having it happen to them.

Before getting into stroke prevention, let us examine what a stroke is. When blood flow to the brain becomes blocked, a stroke occurs. This happens when the blood clots or bleeding of the brain occurs, or blood vessels begin to narrow. When a stroke occurs, the brain becomes deprived of nutrients and nerve cells start to die. Many times, the resulting conditions cannot be undone. Some conditions that can occur as a result of a stroke are vision and other sensory loss, walking problems, talking problems, and the inability to think clearly.

There are two main types of strokes. One is ischemic. These are caused by the blood clots and blockages. The other is hemorrhagic. This one is more common and happens when blood vessels rupture. There is also thrombotic and embolic. Thrombotic happens when the arteries become filled with plaque and embolic occurs when blood clots that formed in other parts of the body break loose into the bloodstream.

Having high blood pressure greatly increases the chance of suffering from a stroke. Blood pressure should be monitored frequently to make sure it is at a safe and healthy level. There are things you can do to lower it. If you overweight, lose that extra weight. Do it the healthy way by making a life-long choice of eating healthy (a low fat diet with plentiful vegetables and fruits) and exercising regularly. Avoid smoking, the use of tobacco products, drinking alcohol, consuming caffeine, and consuming too much sodium.

Consuming vitamin E and fish oil is recommended to prevent strokes. Foods that contain vitamin E include avocado, milk, asparagus, eggs, nuts, spinach, seeds, vegetable oils, wholegrain, and wheat. Fish oil can be taken through ingesting supplements.

Also, if you have diabetes, you must do whatever necessary to keep it in check. Besides taking insulin, simply living a healthier lifestyle is very helpful. And of course, you will want to limit your sugar intake as much as possible.

Also, schedule a visit with your physician to have your circulation in your body checked. Poor circulation in parts of the body can increase your risk of stroke, which is why it is a smart choice to have an examination done.

Those were a few way in preventing strokes. They are not hard to do, so try them and stay healthy.


About the Author :

Julie has been writing articles online for nearly 4 years now.

In addition to writing health related articles, she also publishes reviews of various consumer products.

Come visit her latest website that discusses energy efficient space heater, DeLonghi space heater and other types of portable heaters.