Stroke Prevention

What is a Stroke?

A Stroke occurs when the blood flow to the brain gets blocked or when there is bleeding in the brain. The blood flow to the brain can get blocked due to narrowed blood vessels or due to the presence of clots in the blood with can block the blood vessels.

When the blood supply to the brain is deprived, the brain cells begin to die. Based on which cells die, a patient can suffer from permanent damage to his vision, movements and other activities such as talking or thinking.

Types of Strokes

There are two broad categories of Strokes. They are:

Ischemic Strokes occur when there are blood clots or there is a blockage in the arteries that supply blood to the brain. This type of stroke can also be further classified into Thrombotic Strokes where the arteries narrow down due to deposits of fat and clog up the blood flow, or when these clogs cause the formation of clots and block the blood flow to the brain. Another type of Ischemic Stroke is the Embolic Stroke where a blood clot formed in another part of the body travels through the blood vessels and blocks an artery that carries the blood to the brain.

Hemorrhagic Strokes occur when the blood vessels in the brain rupture. The rupture of the blood vessel can be caused due to the weakening of the blood vessel wall or due to formation of bulges in the artery which burst (called an aneurysm). The artery then bleeds into the brain and there is a loss of nutrient supply to brain cells.

Causes of Strokes

The causes of Stroke are:

• Carotid Artery Disease
• Atrial Fibrillation
• High Blood Pressure
• Heart Disease
• Diabetes
• Cigarette Smoking
• Obesity
• Excessive Alcohol Consumption
• High Cholesterol
• Lack of Exercise
• History of Stroke
• Advanced Age
• Hereditary Factors

Symptoms of Stroke

Briefly, the symptoms of Stroke are:

• Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, or arm or leg.
• Sudden Dizziness, loss of balance and unsteadiness.
• Sudden severe headache with no cause
• Sudden dimness or loss of vision in one or both the eyes.
• Sudden confusion or trouble in speaking or understanding speech.

Stroke Prevention

There are ways of preventing a stroke. A lot of changes involve lifestyle changes, but they are highly effective to prevent stroke occurrences. The various guidelines for stroke prevention are:

• Regularly check for Blood Pressure, Cholesterol levels, Diabetes and Atrial Fibrillation.
• Stop Smoking.
• If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation.
• Start a regular routine for exercise.
• Eat a low salt diet.
• Eat a diet that includes a variety of raw vegetables and fruits

Apart from these things, there are some other things that one can look into, especially if you fall into the high risk group for stroke.

Studies have shown that having an Aspirin pill daily can prevent a heart attack or a stroke. However, it is best to consult a doctor before you begin to pop an aspirin a day.

Vitamin E has also been studied and it has been shown that it can give the immune system the power to protect itself against strokes.