Chronic high blood pressure is one of the major risk factors for hemorrhagic strokes. Over time, high blood pressure weakens the blood vessels and arteries, making them more likely to burst. Talk to your doctor if you think you may be at risk for stroke as a result of high blood pressure.
Stroke Risk Factors
Your risk level for stroke can vary based on your genes and lifestyle; risk factors can also differ between men and women. While you can't control your age, family history, race and gender, it's important to know your stroke risk. Men are at a higher risk for stroke, but women account for more deaths from it. Common risk factors for men and women that can be controlled or treated include high blood pressure, diabetes, cigarette smoking, diet, physical activity and heart disease. Less common risk factors affecting women include migraines, taking the pill, pregnancy and childbirth complications and use of hormone replacement therapy. Learn more about stroke risk factors with expert advice from Sharecare.
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See All 3 AnswersA brain aneurysm is an abnormal section of a brain artery in which the wall of the vessel is thin and balloons outward. The thin-walled aneurysm can suddenly burst, causing high-pressure bleeding into or around the brain.
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HealthyWomen answeredSee All 2 AnswersStroke is an important health concern for all women, not least of all because strokes experienced by women tend to be of greater severity than those experienced by men. The older you are, the more at risk you are to experience a stroke. However, stroke can happen at any age.
Unfortunately, most women are unfamiliar with the key risk factors for stroke and may underestimate their level of risk. In fact, women are three times more likely than men to delay going to the hospital. Researchers suggest that this is largely due to the fact that women are less familiar with both their risk factors and warning signs of stroke.
It is important for women of all ages to be familiar with the warning signs of a stroke and to know what to do if they experience stroke-like symptoms. These warning signs include numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; confusion; trouble speaking or understanding others; trouble seeing in one or both eyes; dizziness; loss of coordination or balance; trouble walking and severe headache.
Stroke symptoms typically come on suddenly with no obvious cause. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should call 911 immediately. Some types of stroke need to be treated quickly, so don't delay seeking medical treatment. -
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Paula Greer , Midwifery Nursing, answeredSee All 2 AnswersThe most common causes of stroke during pregnancy come from blood clots and high blood pressure. Seeking prenatal care early on and making sure to keep all your appointments so that any problems can be detected early is the best way to help prevent a stroke during pregnancy.
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Dr. Steven A. Meyers, MD , Diagnostic Radiology, answered on behalf of NorthShore University HealthSystemSee All 14 AnswersAtrial fibrillation is a condition where the heart beats irregularly allowing for clots to form in the upper chamber, the atria. These clots can break loose and travel to the brain causing a stroke. The risk of stroke in atrial fibrillation can be greatly reduced by taking anticoagulants such as warfarin or a new medication, dabigatran.
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There are two conditions during pregnancy that can result in a stroke. Pregnancy is a hypercoagulable state meaning the blood clots more easily. Therefore the formation of a clot in the cerebral circulation may lead to a stroke. The second condition is the complication preeclampsia which causes hypertension due to constriction of the vascular structures. If the hypertension is not resolves, the increased pressure can damage the cerebral circulation and result in a stroke. -
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Medical City Fort Worth answeredSee All 8 AnswersThere are two main types of strokes: ischemic, which is caused by a blockage in a blood vessel, and hemorrhagic, which is caused by bleeding in the brain. Ischemic strokes occur when a blood clot has formed in a blood vessel, or because a blood clot has moved into the brain from the heart. This causes the blockage of a blood vessel which restricts blood flow to the brain. The same goes for hemorrhagic strokes; the bleeding in the brain tissue results in a lack of blood flow to that part of the brain, causing the death of neurons.
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St Francis Medical Center answeredSee All 9 AnswersStroke is prevalent in elderly people, and in people with risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. Further, doctors are seeing stroke in younger and younger people, as a result of increased childhood obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure in that age group. Stroke can happen in people who have traumatic injuries with resulting vascular injuries from that trauma.
Trinity Health is a Catholic health care organization that acts in accordance with the Catholic tradition and does not condone or support all practices covered in this site. In case of emergency call 911. This site is educational and not a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider.
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American Red Cross answeredA history of high blood pressure, a previous stroke or mini-stroke, diabetes, and heart disease all increase a person's chances of having a stroke. -
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American Red Cross answeredSomeone who has a mini-stroke is at very high risk of having a full stroke within the next two days.