How to Avoid a Stroke

In order to live a long and healthy life span, it’s vital to know how to avoid a stroke. Strokes are more common than you might think, especially in people that have pre-existing heart conditions. Genetics and lifestyles can contribute to a person's risk for a stroke. With all these risk factors, it’s important to understand how to avoid a stroke.

1. Before you can learn how to avoid a stroke, you must first understand what exactly a stroke is. A stroke occurs when the blood flow to the brain fails and the brain becomes starved of oxygen. This is usually caused by blocked arteries. While most strokes aren’t fatal, they can be if treatment is not sought immediately. Most often a stroke will cause neurological damage that may be permanent.
2. In order to know how to avoid a stroke, you must know what can cause a stroke. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is the leading cause of a stroke. In order to avoid a stroke, you must control your blood pressure to reduce your risk of suffering from a stroke. Blood pressure can be reduced using medications, dieting, exercise, and healthy lifestyle choices.
3. Knowing how to avoid a stroke also involves understanding that cigarette smoking can cause the condition. Smoking can cause a buildup within the arteries, which can lead to lack of blood flow to the brain. The nicotine found in cigarettes also raises blood pressure, increasing the risk for stroke. To avoid a stroke, it’s best to avoid cigarette and nicotine products.
4. There are other factor that are known to cause a stroke as well. Other known factors that raise a person's risk for stroke include heart disease and heart disorders. If you’ve had a stroke in the past, the chances of another stroke occurring are higher. Diabetes can also cause a stroke. It’s important to keep these conditions under control in order to avoid a stroke.

Now that you know how to avoid a stroke, do you know what the symptoms of a stroke are? Strokes produce a wide range of symptoms. If you experience any of these symptoms, seek medical treatment immediately. Common symptoms of a stroke include numbness in the extremities and face, sudden confusion and trouble speaking, and sudden vision changes. Other symptoms of stroke include difficulty walking, loss of coordination, and dizziness. Severe headaches are known to occur as well.

References:

Brain Basics: Preventing Stroke