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Health Essentials: Understanding StrokesThis blog highlights the common causes of strokes, as well as informs the reader of a multitude of stroke prevention strategies.

Strokes are one of the most common forms of brain injury that can occur.  While commonly associated with age, there are no distinct parameters to when you can have a stroke.  What is important is that you are aware of the signs and symptoms so that you can properly address the situation. Realizing early what is going on can make all the difference for you or a loved one in terms of damage and recovery.  

According to strokeawareness.com, there are ten typical symptoms of a stroke.  The first and most obvious symptom is confusion. The afflicted may be unable to understand what is happening or where they are.  In order to identify this, pay attention to the look of your loved one. They may seem puzzled and have a hard time focusing. Another symptom is difficulty understanding.  This means that they may be unable to comprehend speech or language. Typical signs of this symptom include raised or wrinkled eyebrows, as well as being unsteady or woozy. This brings us to our next symptom, dizziness.  Your loved one may feel like they have just been blind folded and spun around. This means they may be feeling faint, lightheaded, or like the room is spinning. This can be identified by unsteady movements, appearing as if they are almost drunk.  In conjunction with dizziness, a stroke victim will often have a loss of balance. This means that they will be unstable with a failing coordination. This, in turn, leads them to be wobbling around, if they can even move at all. The next symptom that can be crucial to stroke identification is numbness, which is a tingling sensation in the body, similar to that of a limb falling asleep due to lack of blood flow.  This can be identified by constant touching, massaging, or shaking of the numb areas.

The preceding symptoms are considered to be the most typical of symptoms associated with a stroke, however, there are more.  For instance, the victim could be suffering from a severe headache. However, they may be unable to accurately articulate such a symptom due to trouble speaking, which is another symptom.  Typically, the afflicted will be speaking sentences that can’t be understood, or difficulty having a conversation. This can also be accompanied by trouble walking, which is typically paired with dizziness.  Another noted symptom is a change in vision, which often means blurred vision or trouble with eyesight in one or both eyes. Finally, weakness is a usual symptom of strokes. This could mean lack of strength in the face, arm, or leg, and usually is confined to one side of the body.  If you or a loved one is seemingly experiencing one or more of these symptoms, you should call 911 immediately.

Strokes occur every 40 seconds, and, are actually the 5th leading cause of death in the United States.  This is why it is crucial to act in both a timely and appropriate fashion. However, more can be done. If you or a loved one has suffered from a stroke, you know how detrimental to a life it can be.  However, there are things you can do to prevent a stroke. The number one way to prevent a stroke is to lower your blood pressure. You can do this by reducing the salt in your diet, avoiding high-cholesterol foods, exercising, and incorporating a healthy amount of fruits and vegetables into your diet.  This works in conjunction with losing weight. Obesity, which often coincides with high blood pressure, greatly raises your odds of having a stroke. This can be combatted in a similar way to lowering your blood pressure. If you believe you may be overweight, a good test you can do is taking your BMI, or body mass index.  Ideally, you want to have a BMI of 25 or less, however, this may be difficult and can change from person to person. This can be achieved through increasing the amount you exercise, another key factor of stroke prevention. Exercising does not mean running 10 miles every day. It can start with walking around your neighborhood with friends, or taking the stairs instead of an elevator.  Exercising for 30 minutes a day greatly reduces your chances of suffering from a stroke. Furthermore, your lifestyle choices can be a major factor of having a stroke. More specifically, I mean your consumption of alcohol or if you smoke. If you do drink, you should do so in moderation. However, you should quit smoking immediately. Smoking accelerates clot formation in your blood. It is difficult to quit, but not impossible, and your doctor will definitively help you do so.  Making these changes could not only elongate your life, but prevent a stroke entirely! For more information, you should visit strokeawareness.com, as well as health.harvard.edu.

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