How can I prevent a stroke?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz answered:The best way to prevent stroke is to take all the risk-reducing behaviors to heart. What this means is if you smoke, quit smoking. Lower your blood pressure. Decrease your risk for heart disease through exercise, good nutrition and diet, and stress reduction.
- Keep your blood pressure in check. High blood pressure is your greatest risk for stroke. Speak with your doctor and do what you can to bring your blood pressure down. Lose weight, and avoid stimulants like caffeine or any drugs that are known to raise your blood pressure. Cut back on your salt intake.
- Stop smoking. Cigarette smoking is directly linked to the accumulation of fatty substances in the main artery of your neck that supplies blood to your brain. Blockage of this artery is the leading cause of stroke in Americans. Nicotine raises blood pressure as well.
- Keep your diabetes in check. If you have diabetes, work closely with your doctor to make sure that you keep your blood sugar in control. There are many treatment options available that can provide you an excellent quality of life while taking care of your diabetes; there are no more excuses for not taking care of it. Addressing your diabetes cuts down additional risks for cardiovascular disease and stroke.
- Avoid heart disease. Several conditions that affect the heart such as valve defects, irregular heart beat, coronary artery disease, or enlargement of one of the heart's chambers, can contribute to the possibility of developing a stroke. Blood clots that develop in the arteries can break loose and block one of the blood vessels in your brain. Speak to your doctor about the appropriate therapy for you if you do have coronary artery disease.
The best way to prevent stroke is to take all the risk-reducing behaviors to heart. What this means is if you smoke, quit smoking. Lower your blood pressure. Decrease your risk for heart disease through exercise, good nutrition and diet, and stress... More -
Dr. Michael Roizen answered:Strokes are very scary. But recent research proves that knowledge = brain-saving power. Here's what you need to know:
- Feed your brain smart foods. Just swapping olive oil for butter or creamy dressings could cut your stroke odds 41%. Choosing broiled or poached fish instead of fried three times a week can lower them 30%. These two simple antistroke steps lower your blood pressure and lousy LDL cholesterol, cool inflammation, and discourage blood clots. Then, cut back on salt, which is practically fuel injected into fast food, restaurant fare, and many packaged foods. Eating lots of it increases your risk of the most common form of strokes.
- Exercise slightly harder. Bumping up the intensity just a little can cut by 40% your odds of a "silent" stroke -- a whispered, brief brain attack that boosts your risk for the real thing fivefold. Silent strokes are super common: About 11% of people ages 55 to 65 and half of people over 80 have them. Signs include one side of your body feeling numb or weak for a few moments; a vision fade-out; or a few seconds when you can't understand what others are saying or can't make yourself understood. Tell your doc what you think happened; it could be a warning.
- Focus on these reversible risks: high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking (including secondhand smoke), off-beat heart rhythms, and clogged arteries.
- Get gold-standard brain care. Clot-busting drugs save brain cells after an ischemic stroke (the most common type) if you get them within a few hours of a stroke's start. So if you spot early signs of a stroke, get to a hospital that has a certified stroke center at siren speed. (Put the nearest hospital in your cell phone to show the EMT team.) Calling an ambulance and saying "Stroke!" can double or even quadruple the chances of getting to a stroke-certified hospital in time for clot busters to work their magic. Late arrival is a key reason few people -- just 1 in 25 -- who need them get these brain-saving drugs. Getting to a stroke center increases your survival chances by 20%.
Strokes are very scary. But recent research proves that knowledge = brain-saving power. Here's what you need to know: Feed your brain smart foods. Just swapping olive oil for butter or creamy dressings could cut your stroke odds 41%. Choosing... More -
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital answered:Doctors may diagnose carotid artery disease using a non-invasive carotid Doppler and transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound exam. Specialized types of CT scan or MRI can also be used to visualize the arteries of the head and neck. Doctors treat the disease with antiplatelet medications and surgical treatments such as:
- Carotid endarterectomy: removal of the blockage through the neck.
- Carotid artery angioplasty and stenting: opening the artery with a balloon and placement of a mesh tube in the artery to keep it open.
- Bypass revascularization: rerouting the blood supply to bypass the obstruction.
- Blocking the abnormal vessels with "super glue" or tiny platinum coils to prevent bleeding.
- Placing a clip over an aneurysm to prevent it from growing or rupturing.
- Targeting AVMs with high-dose radiosurgery to close off the abnormal vessels.
Doctors may diagnose carotid artery disease using a non-invasive carotid Doppler and transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound exam. Specialized types of CT scan or MRI can also be used to visualize the arteries of the head and neck. Doctors treat the... More -
Dr. Nicholas D Suite of MDLIVE answered:Stroke is the sudden or gradual loss of blood flow to an area of the brain, causing damage to the brain that can almost always be seen on brain imaging such as a CAT scan or MRI. Stroke is caused by a blockage of blood flow into or out of the brain. It can also be due to a sudden rupture (breakage) of a blood vessel in the brain.
Prevention of stroke is possible by controlling high blood pressure, carefully managing diabetes, avoiding smoking, lowering cholesterol levels, being aware of any family history of stroke, and avoiding any activities that might put one at risk for stroke, e.g. drugs.
Stroke is the sudden or gradual loss of blood flow to an area of the brain, causing damage to the brain that can almost always be seen on brain imaging such as a CAT scan or MRI. Stroke is caused by a blockage of blood flow into or out of the... More -
Intermountain Healthcare answered:Do these things to help prevent stroke (and heart problems, too):
- Exercise 30 minutes every day. This helps lower blood pressure and protect your health.
- Eat healthy.
- Don't smoke. Smokers have more strokes and heart attacks than nonsmokers.
- Stay at a healthy weight. Lose extra weight if you need to.
- Don't drink too much alcohol. If you drink, have no more than 1 or 2 drinks a day.
- Take medicine to control high blood pressure or high cholesterol. If a doctor has given you medicine for these things, take it! Even if you don't notice a change, the medicine can help protect your health.
- Lower your stress. Take time for yourself. Do things that make you feel happy and calm. Try to get about 8 hours of sleep every night.
Do these things to help prevent stroke (and heart problems, too): Exercise 30 minutes every day. This helps lower blood pressure and protect your health. Eat healthy. Don't smoke. Smokers have more strokes and heart attacks than... More -
Healthwise answered:You can help prevent a stroke if you control risk factors and treat other medical conditions that can lead to a stroke.
Know your stroke risk
These are some of the common risk factors for stroke:
- You smoke.
- You have high blood pressure.
- Your cholesterol level is higher than average.
- You have diabetes.
- You are overweight.
- You do not exercise on a regular basis.
- You drink large amounts of alcohol.
Treat any health problems you have
- Manage high blood pressure or high cholesterol by working with your doctor.
- Manage diabetes. Keep your blood sugar levels within a target range.
- If your doctor recommends that you take aspirin or a blood thinner, take it. This can help prevent a stroke.
- Take your medicine exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor if you think you are having a problem with your medicine.
Adopt a healthy lifestyle
- Don't smoke or allow others to smoke around you.
- Limit alcohol to 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women.
- Stay at a healthy weight. Being overweight makes it more likely you will develop high blood pressure, heart problems and diabetes. These conditions make a stroke more likely.
- Do activities that raise your heart rate. Get at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week. Walking is a good choice. You also may want to do other activities, such as running, swimming, cycling or playing tennis or team sports.
- Eat a balanced diet that is low in cholesterol, saturated fats and salt. What kind of diet you use depends on your individual risks, your doctor's recommendation and your preference.
- Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet
- Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet
- American Heart Association diet
- Mediterranean-style diet
You can help prevent a stroke if you control risk factors and treat other medical conditions that can lead to a stroke. Know your stroke risk These are some of the common risk factors for stroke: You smoke. You have high blood pressure. Your... More -
Baptist Health South Florida answered:Since high blood pressure and cholesterol are two of the most common risk factors for strokes, controlling your blood pressure and cholesterol levels is an important way to reduce your risk. Maintain a healthy lifestyle by reducing stress; eating a good diet; exercising regularly; not smoking; and taking any blood pressure or cholesterol medication as prescribed. Talk to your doctor about other ways to prevent the condition.
Since high blood pressure and cholesterol are two of the most common risk factors for strokes, controlling your blood pressure and cholesterol levels is an important way to reduce your risk. Maintain a healthy lifestyle by reducing stress;... More -
Dr. Natalia Rost answered:The most important steps you can take to prevent a stroke are:
- Lower your blood pressure (the single biggest stroke risk factor).
- Keep cholesterol levels healthy.
- Stop smoking.
- Lose weight.
- Exercise regularly.
The most important steps you can take to prevent a stroke are: Lower your blood pressure (the single biggest stroke risk factor). Keep cholesterol levels healthy. Stop smoking. Lose weight. Exercise regularly. Note: Treatment with blood-thinning... More -
Dr. Mandip Dhamoon of The Mount Sinai Medical Center answered:Controlling the major stroke risk factors is the major way to prevent strokes. The risk factors are: high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, and certain kinds of narrowing in the carotid arteries in the neck. Please ask your doctor about the best way to do this for you.
There are other lifestyle changes you can make to prevent a stroke. Increasing physical activity will help in several ways: it will improve blood pressure, weight, cholesterol, and blood sugar. It also improves well-being. If you are overweight or obese, regular physical activity is one of the ways to reduce your weight, which has a significant impact on your health. Stopping smoking is essential, to prevent not only strokes but a multitude of other diseases, such as heart attack, cancer, and lung disease. If you drink more than 1-2 drinks of alcohol per day, this increases risk of both ischemic (blood-clot type) and hemorrhagic (bleeding-type) of strokes, and this should be cut down. Eating a low-salt, low-fat diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains will decrease risk of stroke, improve blood pressure and cholesterol, and increase overall energy levels.Controlling the major stroke risk factors is the major way to prevent strokes. The risk factors are: high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, and certain kinds of narrowing in the carotid arteries in the... More
