Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America. In addition, it leads all other conditions as the cause of serious and long term disability. A stroke happens when a blood vessel bringing blood and oxygen to the brain ruptures or becomes blocked. When this happens, brain cells lose the ability to receive the flow of blood that they need to live … they die within minutes.
Time is imperative if you have suffered a stroke. The effects of a stroke can become permanent if help is not looked out immediately.
Here are some ways to reduce your risk of having a stroke:
1. Control your blood pressure. High blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke. Most pharmacies offer free blood pressure checks if you think your blood pressure may be too high.
2. Manage your cholesterol. Good cholesterol is known as HDL and bad cholesterol is called LDL. The sum of both of these cholesterol numbers should fall below 200. If your numbers are out of range you should speak with your doctor about ways to improve your numbers.
3. Make healthy lifestyle choices. Simple lifestyle changes are another way to lower your risk of having a stroke. Smoking is a prime example of this. Quitting smoking is not an easy task. Make a commitment to it and seek out the type of methods that will help you cut back and then stop completely. Eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables and taking a thirty minute walk every day will also improve the quality of your health.
A stroke must be treated within 3 hours of the sunset of symptoms. If you think that you may have suffered a stroke call 9-1-1 immediately. It is better to be safe than sorry.