Don't Let A Stroke Get You

Strokes are an acquired brain injury affecting the brain as well as the body. (New beliefs are now that strokes also fall under the category of a traumatic brain injury.) There are things you can do to help prevent this from happening to yourself or to any of your loved one. How can you prevent it from happening?

Strokes don't just strike those in their sixties, seventies and eighties. Even those in their thirties and forties should be aware of the dangers of strokes because they are at risk also. What can you do to help prevent getting a stroke? The following steps are a good beginning:

- Are you overweight?
Eat a low fat diet. Know what is healthy and what is not. Some of the healthy foods are nuts, fish, vegetables, fruits, yogurt and whole grains. Avoid junk foods and late-night snacking. Avoid foods high in sodium and drink a lot of water. Avoid restaurant food which is always high in sodium and fat content.
- Do you have high cholesterol?
- Do you have high blood pressure?
Often these go hand-in-hand but not always. Even those who are not overweight can have high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Get cholesterol and blood pressure checked regularly.
- Do you get enough exercise?
Exercise every day and on those days where you don't feel you have enough time, do things like walking from the end of the parking lot, take the stairs instead of the elevator and do some exercises while you're watching the evening news.
- Do you have a lot of stress in your life?
A lot of our stress is the pressure we put on ourselves. Many of the things we think we have to do right now can wait, i.e.: doing the dishes, returning that phonecall, vacuuming or picking up after our family just because we've always done it. Enlist your family member's help in getting things done. Take time to relax.
- Do you smoke?
Smoking is not good for you. It restricts your blood vessels.
- Do you have diabetes?
It is important to keep this disease under control not only for general health reasons but as a prevention for strokes as well.

The statistics are not good. The incidence of stroke is expected to double in the next ten years. Also it is expected that Canadian children will be the first generation who are not likely to live longer lives than their parents. That is a sad outlook for the next generation. But with simple lifestyle changes perhaps we can prove these statistics to be wrong.

Besides making healthy changes to our lives, it is important to know the symptoms. They are as follows:

- A sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, leg or on one side of the body.
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding when others are speaking.
- Sudden trouble seeing out of one or both eyes, or possibly experiencing double vision.
- Sudden difficulty in walking, feelings of dizziness or lack of coordination.
- A sudden extreme and severe headache.
- A feeling of nausea.

There is a three hour window of opportunity to successfully treat a stroke. It is imperative to call 9-1-1 immediately and get medical help as soon as possible. Getting the proper help could make the difference in avoiding a lifelong disability.