A stroke interrupts the flow to blood in a particular area of the brain. Depending on its intensity, a stroke can be fatal. From young adults to people in their 60s, anyone can have a stroke. Only the cause might differ.
Unfortunately, Americans recognize stroke just as they recognize Cox Essential deals. It’s that common! This makes it extremely important for us to learn about its risks to stay safe. Read on to get all the information.
Types of Strokes
A stroke happens in 2 different ways: Ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke.
Ischemic stroke is the type in which the blood vessel that takes blood to your brain gets plugged. This type of stroke occurs when certain fatty deposits in the arteries break and move to the brain. In other cases, Ischemic stroke happens because of poor blood flow caused by an irregular heartbeat resulting in a clot.
Hemorrhagic stroke is a lesser-known type of stroke but it’s more serious. It causes blood vessels in the brain to balloon up and burst. In some cases, the vessels become weak and lean. This kind of stroke is caused by uncontrolled high blood pressure and/or taking blood thinners too often.
Risk Factors Associated With Stroke
Stroke is the #5 killer and cause of disability in the United States. To prevent this health problem from affecting you, make yourself aware of the risk factors for stroke.
1: High Blood Pressure
This is the first option on the list of factors because it’s the leading cause of stroke. Even though it’s a significant factor, it’s also controllable. To stay safe, know your numbers and make sure you keep them low.
2: Smoking
Carbon monoxide and nicotine in cigarettes damage the cardiovascular system and pave way for a stroke to occur. And if you are a smoker and you are taking birth control pills, this could put you at a higher risk of getting a stroke.
3: Diabetes
A diabetic patient is also a potential candidate for a stroke. It doesn’t matter if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, those who have diabetes also have a high blood pressure issue. And if because of that, some are overweight. This increases the risk even more.
Diabetes doesn’t have a cure but it’s treatable. The presence of this disease increases the risk of stroke. Keep your blood sugar level in control hence becomes highly pertinent.
4: Physical Inactivity
Lack of physical activity is a leading cause of obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and eventually a stroke. That’s why doing some form of physical activity is imperative for good health. It’s not mandatory to sweat buckets. At least aim for 150 minutes of physical activity a week.
5: High Cholesterol Level
High cholesterol levels in the blood cause blood clots and lead to stroke. In some cases, a low level of good cholesterol has been a risk factor for stroke in men.
6: Carotid or Peripheral Artery Disease
Carotid arteries are present in the neck and they supply blood to the drain. If one of these arteries narrows down because of fatty deposits and gets blocked because of a blood clot, this could result in a stroke.
Peripheral artery disease narrows down blood vessels carrying blood to the muscles in legs and arms. This happens because of plaque in the walls of the arteries. People who have PAD have a higher risk of CAD. This hence raises the risk of stroke.
7: Family History
If one of your grandparents, parents, brothers, or sisters had a stroke before they reached 65 years, you could be at a risk, too. When the stroke is in family history, be extra careful about your health and keep looking for signs.
8: Prior Stroke History
If you had a prior stroke, you have a higher risk of having another stroke than someone who never had one. The individual who had one or more Transient ischemic attack is 10 times more likely to have another stroke.
A transient ischemic attack causes temporary blockage in the brain. It produces mild stroke-likes symptoms but the damages are not lasting.
9: Other Risk factors
- Location: Strokes are common among people living in Southern USA. This is because of differences in lifestyle, diet, race, and smoking habits.
- Weather: Deaths caused by stroke occurs during extreme temperatures.
- Social and Economic Factors: Evidence shows that stroke is more common along with low-income families because of stress.
Know When to Call for Help
“FAST” is an easy way of remembering the signs of a stroke. Here is what this acronym stands for:
F = Face Dropping (when one side of the face becomes numb or droops)
A = Arm Weakness (when your arm becomes numb or weak)
S = Speech Difficulty (When the speech becomes slurred and you can’t repeat a simple sentence)
T = Time to Call for Help (if you experience these symptoms, call 911 for help right away)
Conclusion
A stroke could possibly lead to death. Learn about the symptoms of this health, take care of your general health, and know when to call for help. If you have diabetes or other health problems that put you at a higher risk of stroke, make sure you have your doctor’s support available. They must be as easy to reach out as Cox Internet support is. A patient who gets emergency treatment has a better chance of recovering.
