A stroke is like a heart attack for your brain, resulting from disruptions in blood flow to a part of your brain. Whether it's caused by blocked blood vessels or bleeding within the brain, strokes are a life-threatening emergency. Quick medical attention is crucial to prevent lasting damage or death.
You have various options to mitigate your risk of having a stroke. It's important to note that this doesn't ensure complete prevention of stroke, but it does contribute to lowering your risk.
How can you prevent stroke?
Taking preventive measures against a stroke involves understanding your risk factors and following your healthcare professional's advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. For individuals with a history of stroke, these actions could aid in preventing another occurrence. Those who have had a transient ischemic attack (TIA) can also reduce their risk of a stroke by following these steps. The follow-up care received in the hospital and beyond may also play a role in prevention of stroke.
Many approaches to prevent strokes align with strategies for preventing heart disease. Overall, recommendations for a healthy lifestyle include:
- Control hypertension, or high blood pressure
- Limit cholesterol and saturated fat intake in your diet.
- Give up tobacco consumption.
- Control diabetes.
- Maintain an ideal weight.
- Consume a diet abundant in fruits and vegetables.
- Maintain a regular exercise routine.
- Keep alcohol intake moderate or consider abstaining.
- Seek treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.
- Do not engage in the use of forbidden drugs.