What is a Brain Stroke and How to Prevent It?

Dr.Madhukar Bhardwaj, 4 mins read

A stroke happens when there is a blockage in the blood supply to the brain or when the blood vessel in the brain ruptures and bleeds. This prevents the supply of blood and oxygen to the brain’s tissues. Without an adequate blood supply, brain cells start to die within a minute of a brain stroke.

A blockage or clot in the blood supply causes most strokes. These strokes are known as ischemic strokes. And around 10% of strokes are caused by bleeding in the brain. These are called hemorrhagic strokes. 

Older adults and people with a family history of brain stroke are more prone to it. A recent report shows that over 10-15% of people under 40 years of age in India suffer from brain stroke. This report has raised the eyebrows of many. Experts across the globe call for awareness among people to switch to healthier life choices.

In this blog, we’ll discuss the various ways that can help you prevent brain stroke. 

8 Ways to Prevent Stroke

• Maintain a Healthy Weight

Obesity and diseases linked to it, like diabetes and high blood pressure, predispose a person to brain stroke. If you fall into the obesity category, you should consciously think about shedding some weight. Experts say that losing even 4.5 kg weight can make a difference.

In order to keep yourself in good shape, first of all, calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index). For your BMI calculation, divide your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in metres.

BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered healthy. Below it, comes in the underweight range, while BMI between 25 and 29.9 comes in the overweight category. And people with a BMI of more than 30, fall into the obesity category.

So, always strive to keep your BMI between 18.5 and 24.9. For this, you can ask a dietician to prepare a personalised diet plan for you. Also, consider regular exercise.

• Keep Blood Pressure in a Good Range

High blood pressure can thicken the arteries and cause cholesterol and other fat build ups. Also, it can weaken the arteries and make them more likely to burst. Thus, affecting the blood supply to brain cells. 

It can double and even quadruple the chances of a stroke. High blood pressure is also considered the main culprit of more than half of brain strokes. 

A normal blood pressure level is lower than 120/80 mmHg. If your regular pressure reads above 130/80, you might have high blood pressure or hypertension. 

Monitoring your blood pressure periodically and taking adequate measures to keep it in a good range can benefit you. 

• Quit Smoking
  

Smoking promotes clot buildup in the arteries. It also thickens your blood and accelerates plaque buildup. So, it’s better to stay away from smoking. If you’re continuously failing to quit smoking, join a smoking cessation program. You may need several tries to quit smoking. But never give up. 

• Limit Alcohol Consumption

On average, one drink a day is considered okay, but if you exceed this figure to two or more drinks a day, your risk of getting a stroke gradually goes up. Consuming too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure and triglycerides.

So, if you drink, stop drinking or drink in moderation. And consider red wine as your first choice, as some study shows that it might prevent heart disease and stroke.

• Work on Your Diabetes
  

Having high blood pressure makes your blood vessels weak over time. This increases the risk of clot formation in the vessels. Experts say that high blood sugar raises the risk of stroke by two times.

So, keep your blood sugar level in a good range. Regularly check your blood sugar, maintain a good diet, and consider regular exercise. Also, periodically consult your doctor.

• Consider Exercising at a Moderate Intensity
  

Obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes are recipes for a stroke. To manage all these things, exercise plays a huge role. Not only does exercising help control all these things, but it is all an independent stroke risk reducer. So, it is recommended to do moderate-intensity exercise at least 5 days a week.

• Eat Healthy, Be Healthy!
  

The food you eat has a great effect on your overall health. Several foods like processed food and saturated and trans-protein are not good for health. Load up your plate with fresh fruits, vegetables, lean protein and high-fibre food to keep yourself in a good health state. Also, these things will help you in shedding extra weight.

• Manage Your Cholesterol Level
  

Cholesterol is one of the risk factors for clot formation in the arteries, which leads to a heart attack and stroke. So, keep your cholesterol in a good range.

1. Total cholesterol in adults: Under 200 mg/dl of blood
2. LDL (Bad) Cholesterol: Under 100 mg/dl
3. HDL (Good) Cholesterol: Above 60 mg/dl

• Keep a Tab on Your Snore

If you experience constant and loud snoring, you should consult a doctor, as it could be a sign of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can make you stop breathing hundreds of times during sleep. As a result, the brain doesn’t get ample oxygen, and blood pressure rises.

• Timely Take Your Medicines

If you have already had a stroke, ascertain to regularly and timely take all the medications prescribed by your doctor. Taking medications can help you prevent another stroke.

Also, Read: Know All About Brain Tumour