The simple ways to reduce your risk of stroke

Did you know that every year, about 795,000 people in the US experience stroke? Stroke is the death cause for 130,000 people in the country. This is while 797,000 people have died due to COVID-19 in the country by now. But you can reduce the risk of stroke through habits and changes in your routine. 

This article provides you with the actions to take to reduce the risk of stroke among yourself, your family, and your parents. 

How can you reduce your stroke risk?

The following tips help you to reduce the risk of stroke:

Pick an appropriate healthy diet 

You should avoid eating too much of a single food in your daily meals. An unhealthy diet is one of the causes leading to stroke. Try to have a balance in your diet that contains all healthy food:

• Fruits
• Veggies
• Fish (salmon)
• Lean meats
• Whole grains
• Leafy greens
• Berries

Try to reduce fat and salt in your diet and include more fiber in daily consumed meals. You would better have no more than 6g of salt per day. 

Your blood pressure and cholesterol level could rise up and enhance the risk of having a stroke. 

High amounts of fruits and vegetables and whole grains are recommended by experts.

If you have had symptoms of stroke, you would better consult with a health expert or your doctor right away. 

Skip smoking 

When it comes to stroke, health experts recommend quitting smoking. What does it do? Smoking is highly likely to make your blood thickens, clot, and narrow blood vessels. The results would to the buildup of plaque. It is highly possible to have a stroke in this situation. 

The more you smoke during the day, the more likely it is that you have a stroke. If you can not quit, at least decrease the tiems you smoke.

For a person who quits smoking now, it takes him five years to reach the zero risk of stroke. You need to compensate for the smoking years with:

• Fresh air
• Appropriate diet
• Exercise

Even being around a person who smokes could increase the risk of stroke. According to the research by the University of Auckland, if you are exposed to secondhand smoke, you are 82% more likely to suffer from a stroke than a person who doe not inhale the fumes of cigarette. 

Have you been to a bar or restaurant whenever smokers are allowed to smoke? If you want to eliminate all the carbon monoxide you have inhaled for the last night of your visit, you have to breathe fresh air for about 8 hours. It is likely that most of the carbon monoxide will be gone in the first hour. 

The next time you choose to hang out with your smoker friends, reconsider the time required to make your lungs clean. If you have to spend time with a smoker, ensure you roll down the car windows or breathe fresh air from the nearby park. 

If you are looking for ways to quit smoking, you can get advice from your doctor. The following could also help:

• Nicotine pills 
• Nicotine patches 
• Counseling 
• Medicine

A study by the  American Academy of Neurology in 2017 indicated that “quitting smoking significantly reduced the risk of stroke in men and women who had suffered a stroke compared with those who did not”.

Take care of diabetes

Diabetes influence the way your body uses glucose. Why do you need glucose? It’s an essential energy source for your cells, tissues, muscles, and body. It could enhance the possibility of having a stroke to you need to watch over your blood sugar level. 

A high level of blood sugar could damage your blood vessels in the long term. It makes it more likely for the vessels to clot from inside over time.  So you need to keep your blood sugar under control. 

Watch over blood sugar levels by a health expert or your doctor regularly. You should use a healthy diet, regular exercise, and medicine if needed to keep your blood sugar under the recommended range. 

According to American Diabetes Association, “if you are diabetic, you are 1.5 times higher likely to suffer from a stroke than someone who is not”. 

According to Guardian, “one in 16 of us is living with diabetes, and about 12% have no idea about it”.

You are more likely to be diabetic if:

• It runs in your family 
• Are overweight 
• Come from a southeast Asian or African-Caribbean background

Try to lose weight 

Did you know that about 66% of Americans are affected by obesity? The affected people have a higher risk of stroke, according to Obesity Action Coalition.  

How does obesity contribute to stroke? It causes a few health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes, which can enhance the chance of stroke. 

Obesity rises inflammation caused by excess fatty tissue. It could make blood flow difficult and enhance the risk of blockage. Both conditions contribute to stroke. 

You would better eat less than 2.000 calories per day and try to get a balanced weight.

Take control of stress level 

Stress has been one of the major causes of stroke. You would better try to reduce your work-related stress, and most parts of it come from deadlines and tasks. 

The following tips can help you to reduce stress levels:

• Do exercise regularly 
• Decrease or avoid tobacco products 
• Practice relaxation:
  • deep breathing
  • progressive muscle relaxation
  • mindfulness meditation
• Hide or avoid the signs of stress 
• Be realistic about your goals and dreams 
• Remind yourself of the positive happening and achievements. 
• Talk to a friend about happy stuff 
• Take necessary supplements 
• Reduce or manage caffeine intake 
• Write down plans to get rid of the Zeigarnik effect 
• Figure out you are a lark, owl, or third bird 
• Laugh, especially during lunch 
• Avoid procrastination
• Enjoy your music more than before 
• Breathe deeply 
• Have realistic challenges and try to reach them 
• Create constructive habits 
• Work smarter 

Do the exercise for its many benefits 

The one thing that can help you manage your weight and keep your blodd pressure under control is the exercise. The two items are contributing factors to stroke and exercise help to a large extent. 

Talk to your doctor for the work out recommendation. You would better do exercise 20-30 minutes per day, and weating would help a lot. Every type of exercise help and you are likely to continue if you enjoy doing it. 

Your exercise is helpful if combined with a diet to control your weight. You would better have a plan for your work out and make it as a constant habit. 

There are also some exercise techniques that help people recover from stroke. You should consult with a health expert on the moves and techniques. 

What are the warning signs of a stroke?

There are different signs that indicate a person is having a stroke or will be having one in the future. If you know them well, you can take the necessary steps. 

According to the CDC, the follwoing are the symptoms of stroke:

• Sudden severe headache 
• Trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance,
• Difficulty in seeing things 
• Confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech.

Who is at most risk of stroke?

The follwoing people or groups are at higher risk of stroke and need to be careful:

• People over 55 
• Smokers 
• You have already suffered from a stroke 
• Stroke runs in your family 
• You suffer from a heart disease and blood pressure 
• Do not exercise 
• Drink large amounts of alcohol 

Let’s sum up…

You can decrease teh risk of stroke by a few changes in your lifestyl, diet, and the way you face things. 

This article provided the ways you can reduce yoru stress, know the warning signs and try to lower down teh risks as far as possible. 

Southern Nevada Family Medicine provides different tests and screens to promote your health. We can provide you plans, guideliens and recommendations to improve your health and well-being. 

Give us a call at (702) 843-6629 to receive further information and reserve the test.