When the blood flow to a portion of the brain is blocked or diminished, brain tissue cannot receive oxygen and nutrients, which results in an ischemic stroke. In minutes, brain cells start to degenerate.
A stroke is a medical emergency, therefore getting help quickly is essential. Early intervention can lessen problems and brain damage.
The good news is that stroke-related deaths among Americans have decreased significantly over time. Stroke impairment can also be avoided with the use of effective treatments.
Symptoms
Pay close note to the moment the symptoms first appeared if you believe that you or someone you are with may be having a stroke. When administered quickly after a stroke starts, some therapy options are most successful.
Stroke symptoms and signs include:
- Trouble speaking and understanding what others are saying. You may experience confusion, slur words or have difficulty understanding speech.
- Paralysis or numbness of the face, arm or leg. You may develop sudden numbness, weakness or paralysis in the face, arm or leg. This often affects just one side of the body. Try to raise both your arms over your head at the same time. If one arm begins to fall, you may be having a stroke. Also, one side of your mouth may droop when you try to smile.
- Problems seeing in one or both eyes. You may suddenly have blurred or blackened vision in one or both eyes, or you may see double.
- Headache. A sudden, severe headache, which may be accompanied by vomiting, dizziness or altered consciousness, may indicate that you’re having a stroke.
- Trouble walking. You may stumble or lose your balance. You may also have sudden dizziness or a loss of coordination.
Causes
A blocked artery (ischemic stroke) or a blood vessel rupture (hemorrhagic stroke) are the two basic causes of stroke. Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), which are brief interruptions in blood supply to the brain that don’t persist long, can occur in some persons.
Risk factors
Many factors can increase the risk of stroke. Potentially treatable stroke risk factors include:
Lifestyle risk factors
- Being overweight or obese
- Physical inactivity
- Heavy or binge drinking
- Use of illegal drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine
Medical risk factors
- High blood pressure
- Cigarette smoking or secondhand smoke exposure
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Cardiovascular disease, including heart failure, heart defects, heart infection or irregular heart rhythm, such as atrial fibrillation
- Personal or family history of stroke, heart attack or transient ischemic attack
- COVID-19 infection
Other factors associated with a higher risk of stroke include:
- Age — People age 55 or older have a higher risk of stroke than do younger people.
- Race or ethnicity — African Americans and Hispanics have a higher risk of stroke than do people of other races or ethnicities.
- Sex — Men have a higher risk of stroke than do women. Women are usually older when they have strokes, and they’re more likely to die of strokes than are men.
- Hormones — Use of birth control pills or hormone therapies that include estrogen increases risk.
Complications
Depending on how long there is a shortage of blood supply to the brain and which portion is damaged, a stroke may result in temporary or permanent disability. Possible complications include:
Lack of muscle mobility or paralysis. You could lose control of some muscles, including those on one side of your face or one arm, or you could develop paralysis on one side of your body.
Talking or swallowing difficulties. A stroke may impair your ability to control your mouth and throat muscles, making it challenging for you to speak clearly, swallow food, or chew it. You could also struggle with language skills including reading, writing, and speaking or interpreting speech.
Difficulty thinking or memory loss. Many stroke victims lose some or all of their memories. Others could struggle with thinking, reasoning, making decisions, and comprehending concepts.
Emotional difficulties. Stroke survivors may find it harder to control their emotions or they may get depressed.
Pain. The regions of the body damaged by a stroke may experience pain, numbness, or other strange sensations. For instance, if a stroke renders your left arm numb, you can experience an unpleasant tingling in that arm.
Alterations in behavior and capacity for self-care. After a stroke, some people may withdraw more. They could require assistance with grooming and daily tasks.
How to prevent stroke
Here are seven ways to start reining in your risks today to avoid stroke, before a stroke has the chance to strike.
1. Lower blood pressure
High blood pressure is a huge factor, doubling or even quadrupling your stroke risk if it is not controlled. High blood pressure is the biggest contributor to the risk of stroke in both men and women. Monitoring blood pressure and, if it is elevated, treating it, is probably the biggest difference people can make to their vascular health.
Your goal: An ideal goal is maintaining a blood pressure of less than 120/80. But there may be good reasons why you and your doctor will not want your readings to be this low. For some, a less aggressive goal (such as no higher than 140/90) may be more appropriate.
How to achieve it:
- Reduce the salt in your diet to no more than 1,500 milligrams a day (about a half teaspoon).
- Avoid high-cholesterol foods, such as burgers, cheese, and ice cream.
- Eat 4 to 5 cups of fruits and vegetables every day, one serving of fish two to three times a week, and several daily servings of whole grains and low-fat dairy.
- Get more exercise — at least 30 minutes of activity a day, and more, if possible.
- Quit smoking, if you smoke.
If needed, take blood pressure medicines.
2. Lose weight
Obesity, as well as the complications linked to it (including high blood pressure and diabetes), raises your odds of having a stroke. If you’re overweight, losing as little as 10 pounds can have a real impact on your stroke risk.
Your goal: While an ideal body mass index (BMI) is 25 or less, that may not be realistic for you. Work with your doctor to create a personal weight loss strategy.
How to achieve it:
- Try to eat no more than 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day (depending on your activity level and your current BMI).
- Increase the amount of exercise you do with activities like walking, golfing, or playing tennis, and by making activity part of every single day.
3. Exercise more
Exercise contributes to losing weight and lowering blood pressure, but it also stands on its own as an independent stroke reducer.
Your goal: Exercise at a moderate intensity at least five days a week.
How to achieve it:
- Take a walk around your neighborhood every morning after breakfast.
- Start a fitness club with friends.
- When you exercise, reach the level at which you’re breathing hard, but you can still talk.
- Take the stairs instead of an elevator when you can.
- If you don’t have 30 consecutive minutes to exercise, break it up into 10- to 15-minute sessions a few times each day.
4. If you drink — do it in moderation
Drinking a little alcohol, such as an average of one per day, is okay. Once you start drinking more than two drinks per day, your risk goes up very sharply.
Your goal: Don’t drink alcohol or do it in moderation.
How to achieve it:
- Have no more than one glass of alcohol a day.
- Consider red wine as your first choice, which some studies suggest might help prevent heart disease and stroke.
- Watch your portion sizes. A standard-sized drink is a 5-ounce glass of wine, 12-ounce beer, or 1.5-ounce glass of hard liquor.
5. Treat atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is a form of irregular heartbeat that causes clots to form in the heart. Those clots can then travel to the brain, producing a stroke. Atrial fibrillation carries almost a fivefold risk of stroke, and should be taken seriously.
Your goal: If you have atrial fibrillation, get it treated.
How to achieve it:
- If you have symptoms such as heart palpitations or shortness of breath, see your doctor for an exam.
- You may need to take an anticoagulant drug (blood thinner), such as one of the direct-acting anticoagulant drugs to reduce your stroke risk from atrial fibrillation. Your doctors can guide you through this treatment.
6. Treat diabetes
Having high blood sugar damages blood vessels over time, making clots more likely to form inside them.
Your goal: Keep your blood sugar under control.
How to achieve it:
- Monitor your blood sugar as directed by your doctor.
- Use diet, exercise, and medicines to keep your blood sugar within the recommended range.
7. Quit smoking
Smoking accelerates clot formation in a couple of different ways. It thickens your blood, and it increases the amount of plaque buildup in the arteries. Along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, smoking cessation is one of the most powerful lifestyle changes that will help you reduce your stroke risk significantly.
Your goal: Quit smoking.
How to achieve it:
- Ask your doctor for advice on the most appropriate way for you to quit.
- Use quit-smoking aids, such as nicotine pills or patches, counseling, or medicine.
- Don’t give up. Most smokers need several tries to quit. See each attempt as bringing you one step closer to successfully beating the habit.
