An expert working in neurocritical care has revealed eight ‘golden rules’ they believe everyone should follow if they want to avoid having a stroke in the future.
Every year, 795,000 people in the United States will suffer a stroke. According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), around 137,000 of those affected by a brain attack will die.
Common symptoms include face and arm weakness, sudden speech problems, and losing sight in one or both of your eyes.
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One nurse has taken time out of her hectic schedule working in neurocritical care to detail eight ‘essential’ lifestyle habits that she believes everyone should practice to avoid suffering from a stroke in the future.
In her column with The Conversation, Siobhan Mclernon wrote about how getting the right amount of sleep, keeping an eye on your blood sugar levels, and eating a healthy diet can all decrease the likelihood of having a stroke.
Take note of your cholesterol
The UK Stroke Association writes that if you have high cholesterol and high blood pressure, then you’re 3.5 times more likely to have a stroke than those scoring low in both departments.
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If you want to lower your cholesterol levels, the NHS recommends you focus on eating less fatty foods, stop smoking, and cut down on your alcohol intake.
Eat a balanced diet
“One way to eat a fibre-rich balanced diet and maintain a healthy weight is to follow a Mediterranean diet,” Mclernon writes.
“This has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke, especially when supplemented with nuts and olive oil.”
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Meanwhile, Healthline outlines eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, diary, grains and protein can help improve your overall health while providing your bod with enough essential nutrition to healthily function.
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Quit smoking
The Stroke Association claims that smokers are around three times more likely to have a stroke than non-smokers.
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Moreover, if you’re someone who smokes 20 cigarettes a day, then you’re six times more likely to suffer a stroke compared to non-smokers, the World Stroke Organization writes.
Smoking tobacco can also cause other serious health issues, like heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and can even contribute to age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and other vision problems.
Reduce your blood glucose levels
Did you know that over time, a high percentage of glucose in your blood has been linked to an increased risk of stroke?
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The American Heart Association Journals state that the prevalence of hyperglycemia, - defined as blood glucose level >6.0 mmol/L (108 mg/dL) - has previously been observed in two-thirds of all five ischemic stroke subtypes on admission to hospital.
These ischemic stroke subtypes include: large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA), cardioembolic stroke (CE), small-vessel disease (SVD), stroke of other determined etiology (ODE), and stroke of undetermined etiology (UDE)
To reduce your blood glucose levels and thus your chance of suffering a stroke, its advised you eat a fibre-rich diet, drink lots of fluids, and try to avoid stress as best you can.
Get your daily recommended sleep
Harvard Health states that most healthy adults need at least seven hours of slumber per night.
However, Eric Zhou with the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, claims some people may need less while others need way more.
If you’re someone who definitely doesn’t get enough sleep or struggles to get their 40 winks, then maintaining a consistent wake up time may help.
Adding physical activity into your daily routine will also make hitting the hay easier, and limit naps.
However, too much sleep could also increase stroke risk, Mclernon adds, so watch how many sheep you are counting a night.
Be aware of your blood pressure
High blood pressure is another blood-based issue causing brain attacks, Mclernon says.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) it’s thought that around 119.9 million US adults (48.1 percent) have a blood pressure greater than 130 mm Hg.
This hypertension damages your blood vessels, leading to weakened walls that can rupture or become blocked, according to Mclernon.
It’s recommended that anyone over 18 gets their blood pressure checked regularly. That way, if you do start to show signs, you can make necessary changes before it’s too late.
Maintain a healthy weight
Everyone’s ‘ideal’ bodyweight is different, thanks to height, gender, ethnic background and genetics.
However, if your Body Mass Index (BMI) results mark you as being ‘overweight’ or ‘obese’ then you could be at major risk of having a stroke.
Carrying too much weight is associated with almost one in five strokes, reported Slimming World. However, this can be managed by aiming to eat a varied, balanced diet and exercising.
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Stop sedentary behavior
We get it, sometimes you just want to skip that post-work gym session.
Maybe you’re hankering for a lie-in with a good book and a coffee, rather than going on that morning run you promised you’d get out on.
However, if you keep skipping exercise, you run the risk of becoming sedentary and the myriad of health issues that come with it.
A lack of physical exercise can actually increase the risk of a stroke. Even small amounts can have a mass improvement on your health.
According to the World Stroke Organization, just 30 minutes of exercise five times a week can reduce the likelihood of you suffering a stroke by 25 percent.
See you at the track!
Ella Scott