Many risk factors for stroke can be controlled
By Dana Benson
Strokes are a serious medical issue – with about 800,000 occurring every year in the United States. They cause long-term health issues that affect both patient and the patient's family and can also be fatal. But it's important to remember that many of the risk factors associated with stroke are controllable.
Some of these controllable risk factors include high blood pressure and high cholesterol, tobacco and alcohol use and obesity. Eating healthy, exercising, and not smoking or consuming excess alcohol will go a long way toward reducing the risk of stroke as well as other diseases.
Other risk factors for stroke are beyond control – such as family history, age, gender and race as well as some medical conditions.
It's important to talk to your doctor to understand how certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, can contribute to stroke and to learn how to control them.
As important as controlling risk factors is knowing symptoms and warning signs of stroke. Doctors emphasize the importance of acting on the following warning signs and seeking emergency care immediately:
- Sudden numbness or weakness affecting the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden difficulty in speaking or understanding speech
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
A stroke is caused by loss of blood supply to a portion of the brain which results in loss of brain function. For example, loss of blood supply to the portion of the brain controlling movement may result in paralysis of the arm and leg.
There are two main types of strokes, Ischemic and Hemorrhagic. Ischemic stroke are caused by an obstruction within a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain. Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a weakened blood vessel ruptures. There is also a third type referred to as a "mini stroke" called transient ischemic attack. This one is caused by a temporary clot and usually does not leave any damage but can be seen as a warning sign for future strokes.
