What is a stroke?

Stroke is a "brain attack", cutting off vital blood and oxygen to the brain cells that control everything we do – from speaking, to walking, to breathing. Most strokes occur when arteries are blocked by blood clots or by the gradual build-up of plaque and other fatty deposits. Some strokes can be caused by arteries rupturing when weak spots on the blood vessel wall break.

Every year stroke strikes approximately 750,000 Americans – killing 160,000 and forever changing the lives of many who survive. The good news is that many strokes can be prevented.

Reducing Risk

Everyone has some stroke risk. Stroke risk factors are the things about you that make you more likely to have a stroke. A few stroke risk factors are beyond your control, such as being over age 55, being a male, having diabetes, and having a family history of stroke. If you have one of these risk factors, it is even more important that you learn about the life style and medical changes you can make to prevent a stroke.

Medical stroke risk factors include:

• Previous stroke, 

• previous episode of transient ischemic attack or TIA, 

• high cholesterol, 

• high blood pressure, 

• atrial fibrillation and carotid artery disease.

These medical risks can be controlled by surgery or medication. Talk with your doctor about what will work best for you.

Lifestyle stroke risk factors include:

• Smoking, 

• being overweight and 

• drinking too much alcohol.

You can control these lifestyle risk factors by quitting smoking, exercising regularly, watching what and how much you eat and limiting alcohol consumption.

Stroke Prevention Guidelines

National Stroke Association’s Stroke Prevention Guidelines were developed by the country’s leading experts on stroke prevention.

• High blood pressure (hypertension) is a leading cause of stroke. If it is elevated, work with your doctor to keep it under control. 
  

• Find out if you have atrial fibrillation (also called AF). If you have AF, work with your doctor to manage it. Atrial fibrillation (AF) can cause blood to collect in the chambers of your heart. This blood can form clots and cause a stroke.
  

• If you smoke, stop. Smoking doubles the risk of stroke. If you stop smoking today, your risk for stroke will begin to decrease.
  

• If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Remember that alcohol is a drug – it can interact with other drugs you are taking, and alcohol is harmful if taken in large doses. If you don’t drink, don’t start.
  

• Know your cholesterol number. If it is high, work with your doctor to control it. Lowering your cholesterol may reduce your risk for stroke. Having high cholesterol can also indirectly increase stroke risk by putting you at greater risk of heart disease – another important stroke risk factor. High cholesterol can be controlled in many individuals with diet and exercise: some individuals may require medication.
  

• If you are diabetic, follow your doctor’s recommendations carefully to control your diabetes. Having diabetes puts you at an increased risk for stroke.  Often, diabetes may be controlled through careful attention to what you eat. Your doctor can prescribe a nutrition program, lifestyle changes and medicine that can help control your diabetes.
  

• Include exercise in the activities you enjoy in your daily routine. A brisk walk, swim or other exercise acrivity for a s little as 30 minutes a day can improve your health in many ways, and may reduce your risk for stroke.
  

• Enjoy a lower sodium (salt), lower fat diet. By cutting down on sodium and fat in your diet, you may be able to lower your blood pressure and, most importantly, lower your risk for stroke.
  

• Ask your doctor if you have circulation problems, which increase your risk for stroke. If so, work with your doctor to control them. Fatty deposits can block the arteries, which carry blood from your heart to your brain. This kind of blockage, if left untreated, can cause stroke. If you have blood problems such as sickle cell disease, severe anemia, or other diseases, work with your doctor to manage these problems. Left untreated, these can cause stroke.

If you have any stroke symptoms, seek immediate medical attention. 

The most common stroke symptoms are:

• sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm, or leg – especially on one side of the body

• sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding

• sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes

• sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

• sudden severe headache with no known cause

Other important but less common symptoms include:

• sudden nausea, fever and vomiting – distinguished from a viral illness by the speed of onset (minutes or hours vs. several days)

• brief loss of consciousness or period of decreased consciousness (fainting, confusion, convulsions, or coma)

Sometimes symptoms may appear for only a very short period of time and then disappear, possibly indicating Transient Ischemic Attack or TIAs. Although it might be tempting to ignore them, it is important to call Emergency whenever you experience stroke symptoms. TIAs indicate serious underlying stroke risks and are a powerful warning that a full stroke may soon follow.

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