Stroke

A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, occurs when a clot blocks the blood supply to part of the brain or when a blood vessel in or around the brain bursts. In either case, parts of the brain become damaged or die.




What to Look For



Stroke can affect your senses, speech, behavior, thoughts, memory, and emotions. One side of your body may become paralyzed or weak.

The five most common signs and symptoms of stroke are

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg.

• Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding others.

• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.

• Sudden dizziness, trouble walking, or loss of balance or coordination.

• Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

Signs of a stroke always come on suddenly. If your symptoms go away after a few minutes, you may have had a "mini-stroke," also called a transient ischemic attack (TIA). TIAs do not cause permanent damage but can be a warning sign of a full stroke—you should still get help immediately.



How to Prevent Stroke

Prevent or Treat Your Medical Conditions



If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease, there are steps you can take to lower your risk for stroke.

• Have your cholesterol checked. Your health care provider should test your cholesterol levels at least once every five years. Talk with your doctor about this simple blood test.

• Monitor your blood pressure. High blood pressure has no symptoms, so be sure to have it checked on a regular basis.

• Manage your diabetes. If you have diabetes, closely monitor your blood sugar levels. Talk with your health care provider about treatment options.

• Take your medicine. If you're taking medication to treat high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, follow your doctor's instructions carefully. Always ask questions if you don't understand something.

• Talk with your health care provider. You and your doctor can work together to prevent or treat the medical conditions that lead to heart disease. Discuss your treatment plan regularly and bring a list of questions to your appointments.



Live a Healthy Lifestyle



• Eat a healthy diet. Choosing healthful meal and snack options can help you avoid stroke and its complications. Be sure to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Eating foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fiber can help prevent high blood cholesterol. Limiting salt or sodium in your diet can also lower your blood pressure.



• Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese can increase your risk for stroke. To determine whether your weight is in a healthy range, doctors often calculate a number called the body mass index (BMI). Doctors sometimes also use waist and hip measurements to measure a person's excess body fat.



• Be active. Physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight and lower cholesterol and blood pressure. The Surgeon General recommends that adults should engage in moderate-intensity exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.



• Don't smoke. Cigarette smoking greatly increases your risk for stroke. So, if you don't smoke, don't start. If you do smoke, quitting will lower your risk. Your doctor can suggest ways to help you quit.



• Limit alcohol use. Avoid drinking too much alcohol, which causes high blood pressure.



Sourced from http://www.cdc.gov/ . Do check out this too – HPB Stroke