Stroke Signs and Risk Factors

Stroke, the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, occurs when there is a reduction or blockage in the brain’s blood supply. Immediately this occurs, sufficient oxygen or nutrients cannot be received by the brain, which inevitably leads to the gradual death of brain cells. You can prevent stroke by making healthy choices and by being in absolute control over any health challenge you may have.

Difficulty in breathing, sudden severe headache, loss of sight, dizziness and lack of coordination are some of the symptoms associated with stroke.

Has your interest in knowing more being piqued? Continue reading as the warning signs of stroke, its various risk factors and ways of avoiding it will be expounded in subsequent paragraphs.

What are the types of stroke?

According to Medical research, there are three main types of stroke, they include:

Ischemic stroke: It is on record that about 87% of all strokes are ischemic strokes. It is a condition where there is a blockage of blood flow to the brain. Blood clots usually cause the restriction of blood flow.
Hemorrhagic stroke: This occurs when an artery in the brain leaks blood or ruptures. The pressure from the leaked blood causes damages on the brain cells.
Transient Ischemic Attack ( TIA): This condition is also known as “mini-stroke”. Here, the flow of blood to the brain is restricted for a little time. The duration of the blockage is approximately 5 minutes. If you already had a TIA, there is a high chance of you having another stroke.

Who can have a stroke?

It should be noted that stroke is not gender or age-specific; anyone can have a stroke at any age. It is a global health problem. Although stroke can occur at any age, stroke risk increases with age. From age 55 – 75, the risk of stroke is higher in men than in women. However, because women generally have a longer life span than men, their lifetime risk of stroke is on a higher pedestal, they account for approximately 61% of deaths annually.

There is a unique stroke risk faced by pregnant women. Pregnancy-related stroke most likely occurs in women who experience certain complications such as infections or preeclampsia or those with other risk factors such as hypertension or diabetes. The resultant effect of stroke that occurred during fetal development may be Cerebral palsy.

Warning signs of stroke

When the following symptoms listed below are noticed, you should immediately visit a health practitioner for immediate treatment or medication. They include:

Severe headache that happened suddenly without a known cause
Loss of one’s ability to see with one or both eyes
Abrupt numbness in the face, arm or leg, especially if the numbness occurs in one side of the body
Difficulty in speaking and understanding, finding it difficult to decipher the happenings around you is also a sign of stroke.
Unforeseen inability to walk unaided and lightheadedness
Lack of stamina, loss of balance or lack of coordination.
Fatigue
Vertigo

What increases one’s chances of having a stroke?

There are two risk factors for stroke. The first is the uncontrollable risk factor, while the second is the controllable risk factor. Uncontrollable risk factor of stroke includes:

Genetics and family history: It is impossible for you to change your family history. Genes, behaviors and lifestyle is shared by family members, they are usually transferred from one generation to another. If the stroke risk in your family is high, there is a high chance of you having a stroke.
Increase in age: As one age, the probability of one having a stroke is high. Stroke is more common in people that are over sixty years of age.
Sex: Stroke is more common among men than it is in women.

Controllable risk factor of stroke includes:

Cigarette smoking: The nicotine in cigarettes raises blood pressure, and the carbon monoxide from cigarette smoking reduces the amount of oxygen carried by the blood. Breathing in other people’s smoke can make one susceptible to stroke. Smoking causes about a double-fold increase in the risk of Ischemic stroke and approximately a four-fold increase in hemorrhagic stroke risk.
Excessive alcohol consumption: Too much alcohol drinking raises your blood pressure which inadvertently causes a stroke.
Presence of high cholesterol in the body: The liver already supplies enough cholesterol to the body; taking in more cholesterol than the body can handle will lead to its build-up in the arteries, including those of the brain. This can lead to the narrowing of the arteries, stroke and other health-related problems.
Physical inactivity: Not getting enough physical activity begets other health problems such as diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure, which is a risk factor of stroke.
Obesity: Excessive fat in the body can lead to inflammation which causes poor blood flow and potential blockages.
Illegal usage of drugs: This affects the proper functioning of the body. Drug abuse increases the risk of both intracerebral hemorrhage and ischemic stroke

Medical conditions that increase one’s stroke risk

High blood pressure – It is a leading cause of stroke. It occurs when the pressure of blood in the arteries is too high.
Diabetes – It causes sugars to build up in the blood, thereby hindering oxygen and nutrients from reaching various parts of the body, the brain inclusive.
Hypertension – It causes a two to four-fold increase in stroke risk before age eighty. After eighty, there is a decline in the impact of hypertension, other risk factors become more prominent.
Sickle cell anemia – This disease causes some red blood cells to form an unusual sickle shape. A sickle cell can prompt the occurrence of a stroke if it gets stuck in a blood vessel and blocks the flow of blood to the brain.
Heart disease- Heart diseases like Coronary artery disease can increase one’s risk of stroke.

How to avoid the fatal disease called stroke

Prevention, they say is better than cure. To prevent a stroke from happening, the following ideas should be put into practice:

Exercising regularly
Abstaining from cigarette smoking
Avoiding alcohol or taking it moderately
Having a healthy diet filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes and a host of other nutrients.
Moderate salt intake
Consuming foods low in saturated fats and cholesterol is encouraged. Foods high in fiber can help in the prevention of high cholesterol.
Be knowledgeable about your family’s health history so that steps can be taken to prevent or manage stroke if necessary.

Conclusion

Now that you know the different variations of strokes and their risk factors, it is pertinent to note that aside from having the background knowledge of stroke and it’s symptoms, appropriate measures should be put in place by individuals for a healthy lifestyle.

While a healthy diet and lifestyle changes are beneficial for preventing the occurrence of stroke and its symptoms, it is important to seek out professional care if the problem persists. If you are experiencing symptoms of stroke that do not respond to diet and lifestyle changes, contact us today to book an appointment.