Lifestyle choices like what you eat and do regularly can become the reason behind a stroke. Here we’re talking about both brain and heart stroke. But which activities exactly lead to stroke, and how can you change them? Well, this is what we’ll be talking about in this blog.
What is a Stroke?
When blood supply to your brain reduces or stops and brain tissues aren't able to get the required oxygen, a phenomenon occurs which is known as a stroke.
What Behaviors or Lifestyle Changes Might Lead to Heart or Brain Stroke?
Smoking
Cigarettes or any kind of smoking is one of the worst inventions of humans. You simply gain nothing from smoking a cigarette. It instead puts you at the risk of lung cancer, mouth cancer, deteriorates your heart health, and also increases the risk of ischemic stroke.
Unhealthy Diet
An unhealthy diet that is rich in trans fats, cholesterol, sugar, salt, and saturated fats is known to impact your heart health and increase the risk of heart stroke. So, go for healthy food items like vegetables, fruits, and fiber-rich foods.
No Physical Activity
Being inactive and doing no physical activity every day can make you obese or overweight. It also can lead to several chronic health conditions and even strokes. It’s because being overweight is often linked to high cholesterol and high blood pressure which can affect your heart.
Too Much Alcohol
Drinking too much alcohol is usually linked to high blood pressure, which further increases the risk of strokes. Furthermore, alcohol increases the level of triglycerides in your blood which can harden your arteries leading to reduced blood flow and eventually a stroke.
Other Factors
Several other health conditions that might lead to strokes are:
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Hypertension
- High Cholesterol
- Family History
- Diabetes
What Are Some Warning Signs of a Stroke?
Sometimes it’s hard to say when a person is suffering from a stroke. However, if you notice any stroke symptoms, it means you need to take immediate action:
- Sudden headache(severe) without any cause.
- Unexpected vision loss in one or both eyes.
- A sudden feeling of dizziness, trouble in walking, or lack of coordination.
- Sudden difficulty in speaking or confusion.
- Unexpected numbness in your arm, face, or legs, especially on a particular side of the body.
Remember the acronym FAST – Face, Arms, Speech, Time. If you see someone experiencing facial drooping, arm weakness, or slurred speech, call a doctor immediately.
How Can You Prevent the Risk of Stroke?
With some simple lifestyle changes, you can easily reduce the risk of a stroke:
Quit Smoking Right Now
Smoking increases the fat in your arteries which can disrupt blood flow. And this further leads to strokes. So, make sure to quit smoking ASAP. If you have suffered from a stroke and are still smoking, you should quit smoking right away.
Go for a Healthy Diet: Important
Let go of the trans-fat or unsaturated fat-rich diet. Go for fruits, vegetables, whole grains that help lower weight, blood pressure and reduce the risk of strokes.
Diet plays an important/crucial role in maintaining our bodies. After all, we’re what we eat. If you are going to eat fat-rich food, you’ll become fat and will eventually be at risk of several chronic diseases. However, if you consume healthy food, you’ll become more powerful and healthy. This way, you’ll be able to prevent any strokes.
Work Out Frequently
If you haven’t had a stroke in your life, but you don’t exercise, it’s time to start working out. This way, you can prevent the risk of any upcoming stroke. Also, you can start with any exercise you like or feel comfortable with.
However, if you have experienced a stroke previously, make sure to talk to your doctor before choosing any exercise. It’s because, after a stroke, you can not exert any excess pressure on your body.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Being obese/overweight is linked to several bodily issues. So, make sure to maintain a healthy weight all the time. And you can do that by following the above two points, i.e., by consuming a healthy diet and doing a physical workout.
Say No to Alcohol
Alcohol is risky both for your heart and liver and increases the risk of stroke. So, make sure to limit if not completely refrain from alcohol consumption for stroke prevention.
Manage Health Problems that Might Lead to Strokes
You need to manage health issues such as hypertension and diabetes and improve your health. You can take some prescribed medications and reduce the risk of strokes significantly.
Wrapping Up
Strokes can be dangerous and sometimes life-threatening. However, adopting a healthy lifestyle can help you prevent or at least reduce the risk of strokes. So, make sure to identify and refrain from lifestyle activities that might increase the risk of strokes.
Also, even after changing lifestyle habits, you don’t notice improvement, you can consult with a medical professional. A medical professional will definitely provide you with a working solution.
